The Balance Within: The Science Connecting Health and Emotions

I took Biology and Chemistry in college and although I am not a health professional it is very interesting to have learned the general approach our physiology follows when faced with stress and emotions. The first 65 pages of the book describe the physiology of the brain and then some very interesting hypothesis is concluded. One among which is an elaborate description of test animals that revealed a link between stress and inflammatory diseases, arthritis being one of them. You should read this book because I'm not going to tell you how it concludes. What would be the point?What I loved about the book is that it's written to adults and it's written very well. The author really knows how to put things in order. When dealing with such a complicated system as the human nervous system this is a good idea and certainly made the reading smooth and fast.Some very interesting history is woven into the fabric of this book, making it less like a textbook and more like a non-fiction novel. I haven't changed my minds about personality types and the author does point out to interesting relationships between people. She talks about type characteristics like traits, the ones we use to describe people. I do believe that majority of what psychologists observe as Intuitive people is now directly related to human stress response.

I work as a physician. For a long time I believe emotions have a great input into the daily routines we go through. As physicians we are very dependent that the information we provide has to be based on data backed by research. I am so happy to see that those popular believes are not any more just believes, that we can say hey, there is research that proves that is not only a "believe". However believe is what makes the difference; believe is what triggers the body mechanics to achieve, reach the objective we pursue; believe is what gives energy and meaning to the people who does the research. Believe is what makes things happen: believe in oneself, believe in your partner, your friend, your team. And yes, we are so lost and at the same time full of such hopes, that we can show through research that our doubts are incorrect. It is there! I thank you Ms Rosenberg for compiling all that evidence together. I have read her other book: Healing spaces, and I have been to Lourdes and feel in my own body what she describes. May you be well.

This is by far one of the most informative books on science that I have ever read. The connection between neuroscience, health, and emotions has captivated me. My interest in psychology has increased exponentially.

If you are struggling with an illness, this book is an eye-opening achievement in brain-body interactions and brain-immune system communications regarding healing. A wealth of evidence supports that “emotions and health are one.” Dr. Esther Sternberg has done 5-star research on this and takes it deep into the scientific core in easy to understand language. She reminds us that our brains have maps of our relationships. Loss, loneliness, rejection, isolation, disappointment, fears, anxiety and stress all affect our molecules and nerve pathways to cause disease and pain. To achieve this balance, Sternberg identifies healthy food, clean water, exercise, rest; however, she adds love, acceptance, belief and spirituality. A fine menu of nourishment!On the scientific side—stress can directly create inflammation in the body; the inflammation causes diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, and many more. Learning how stress acts to stimulate the inflammation is the key. Sternberg identifies hormone response, parts of the brain and brain circuitry, imagery, learning and expectation, and biological mechanisms as all playing a role in the susceptibility and resistance to inflammatory diseases.Chapter 9 “Can Believing Make You Well?” is especially comprehensive. Can we consciously choose to heal? Sternberg addresses the power of prayer on the mind, spirit, and body. “Repeated performances of a set of actions, like prayer, can become automatic and impart a sense of peace to soothe the immune responses (A Duke University study and other studies support this) and reverse the stress factor, decreasing the inflammation for healing. She cites two sides to prayer: “One is what happens to the believer praying, and the other is the prayer itself. A part of the prayer’s effect might come from removing stress—reversing that burst of hormones that can suppress immune cell function.”A lot in this book comes down to rewiring the nerves, neurotransmitters, and thought as it relates to the brain and body in order to release healing endorphins. I have simplified too much here. But if learning, expectation, imagination, and spirituality are part of our belief system, then why couldn’t believing change pain and create healing? This book is not only an illuminating scientific read into health but also a guide to harmonizing the mind, body, spirit. Every medical doctor needs to read this.

Unfortunately, I have read Sapolsky's "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers" 3rd ed. prior to reading this book. If I hadn't have done that, I would have given this book 5 stars-- it is well researched, well written, and is accessible for anyone regardless of science background. However, it is difficult to compete with Sapolsky, a prominent figure in the stress research field, in writing style with all his wit, charm, random anecdotes and the like. Also, Sapolsky's book is more up-to-date, has greater breadth, and, I feel, it is a little more substantial. However, I do feel like Sternberg's book may be a little more accessible to someone with no science background, while Sapolsky's may be difficult to follow, especially when he gets carried away with scientific terminology (though, I would still recommend sticking through those difficult parts, of which there are few, because the author never ceases to return from the heavily scientific woods with a quick and easy-to-grasp summary of the main points).

Unbelievably well written. nearly poetic in style. The author is so clear in her writing she captivates you as she shares her findings and her insight: the inevitable relationship between human mental and physical well being and the body's way of balancing the two. The book will be a classic.

One of the best non-fiction I’ve ever read. Very informative, descriptive, beautifully-written. A very enjoyable read!

Hubby loved it....Thanx!! A+++++++++

I thoroughly enjoyed The Balance Within by Esther Sternberg. As a highly respected immunologist she writes for the lay reader and looks at the biological connection between wellbeing and being well. In doing so she examines the hormonal and neuronal underpinnings of positive psychology and explores what actually might be going on in terms of the body's chemical and electrical responses to the placebo effect. She takes the reader on a fascinating journey and concludes: "The science of brain-immune communications...looks inward to the most detailed level of body chemistry and at the same time it looks outward to the larger concerns of health and emotion". While science and medicine has become increasingly specialised Sternberg is concerned that the "whole has been lost in the focus on the parts" and as a result the public have felt alienated as their feelings and senses have seemed to matter little to the physicians they consult.We know that immune molecules can affect the health of neurons, positively and negatively, and that the immune system can in turn be influenced positively and negatively by many factors. As patients we intuitively know this and want to know what more "we" can do to help ourselves- to have a greater understanding of the evidence to support our cognitive and behavioural attempts to attenuate our illness? Sternberg goes on to say: "But if this science accomplishes one single thing...it will force us to learn to listen and speak to each other in each other's languages...It will help physicians speak the language of their patients."

all good

great book!