HE ALTH & HE ALIN G


HOW TO achieve joie de vivre with Vitamin J


Experiences that lift our spirits, make us laugh or give us meaning or fulfilment, release Vitamin J for us, or ‘joie de vivre’ as the French say – the joy of living.


In today’s age of information, we should be vigilant not to lose touch with ourselves and the things that feed our soul; that add meaning and sparkle to life. Authors Norman Cousins, Dr Kelly Turner and Anita Moorjani provide real life examples.


by Stephen Denham


LOVE, HAPPINESS, PASSION, laughter, creativity, inspiration – these are just a few expressions of joie de vivre as they say in France, the joy of living. And if experience is the food of life, offering different levels of nutrition, then JOY or vitamin J as you might call it, is an essential ingredient of a life lived well – a soul food diet you might say. Just as we take vitamins A, B, C and D for a healthy body, so do we need vitamin J as a rich source of nourishment for our spiritual well-being — our soul. Vitamin J does not come in a pill or


capsule. Rather, it is released in joyful moments that lift our spirits, make us laugh or give us meaning or fulfilment: the birth of a child, our wedding day or graduating from university: a choir in a cathedral, a Shakespearian comedy or surfing the tube off Hawaii, the playfulness of a kitten, a lover’s tender kiss, a sudden sense of déjà vu or even just Belgian chocolate!


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But embarking on a soul food diet can also mean consciously embracing a change of lifestyle, weaning ourselves off behaviours and situations that have become habitual and no longer allow us to grow, or can lead to health issues. A soul food diet can launch us into the unknown, attracting experiences that nourish the innermost core of our being. Here, Vitamin J can be the result of a long-term plan or mission involving much hard work but ultimately leading to realising one’s career calling or spiritual goals; or even overcoming illness. The role of our mental/emotional


nature in health is attracting increasing interest in current research. However, as far back as the 1970s, American Norman Cousins’ groundbreaking recovery from what was diagnosed as ankylosing spondylitis, a rare form of arthritis – as described in his book on the subject Anatomy of an Illness – As perceived by the patient


(1979) – is considered a classic case in the history of alternative medicine. There is something compelling about a man diagnosed with a chronic, life- threatening illness and given little chance of surviving by practitioners of traditional Western medicine; boldly booking a hotel room and with the help of some Marx Brothers comedy videos, literally laughing himself back to health. Here we see the power of humour, one of the richest sources of Vitamin J. There is mounting evidence that the


relationship of body and mind plays a vital role in health, healing and well-being. In her New York Times best-seller Radical Remission – Surviving cancer against all odds (2014), Dr Kelly Turner reports the results of studying hundreds of cases of statistically unexpected cancer remission. ‘Radically changing one’s diet’ emerged as one common element. However, of the nine key factors she identifies as making a real difference,


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