What does healthy living really mean? So many people strive to live a “healthier” life, but I’m not sure that we always really understand what that entails. So often, I see people who try to be healthy by eating really well, but then they sit on the couch all night and watch TV. Or some people exercise like crazy after work so that they can justify splurging on fast food and ice cream later that night. Others might eat really well and exercise, but they run themselves ragged by only getting 4 hours of sleep each night. Does any of this sound familiar to you? There’s definitely no judgment coming from me…I think we’ve all (myself included) been in a situation like one of these at one time or another!
If, however, you want something better for yourself than this haphazard way of trying to be “healthy”, change needs to happen in several different areas of your life, not in just one or two isolated ones. I know this can sound overwhelming and time consuming, but I promise you that if you go through the process one step at a time, you will begin to regain energy, allowing you to continue making more changes, still one step at a time.
You may even be shocked by how great you start to feel…those aches and pains and feelings of fatigue that you started accepting years ago as “normal” no longer have to be your “normal”. You may have digestive issues that dramatically improve, or acne that clears up, or you might even begin to feel happier and less anxious.
There are 5 Pillars of Health that we must focus on in order to work towards a healthier life. Because I believe so deeply in the amazing benefits each of these 5 pillars will play on your health, they form the foundation of my philosophy of health and wellness. My purpose right now is not to go into the specifics of each pillar, but to instead provide you with a broad overview of each component necessary to achieve a healthy life.
1. Eat Real Food
The foundation of a healthy lifestyle lies in the food you eat on a regular basis, and the key to a healthy diet is to focus on eating nutrient dense foods that will nourish your body. This involves eating whole foods that are in as close to their natural state as possible, which means they most likely will not come processed, in a box or bag, or with an ingredient list a mile long.
If interested, you can read more about the specifics of a healthy diet here. For a quick summary, though, the foods that will most nourish and support the health of your body are animal proteins, vegetables, healthy fats, fruit, starches, and nuts and seeds. Some people also tolerate gluten free grains such as quinoa, wild rice, and buckwheat, along with legumes in moderation.
Foods to avoid are those that are overly processed and filled with chemicals and other additives. I’m pretty sure our bodies were never meant to digest the man made chemicals that we try to stuff down our throats on a daily basis! It is also beneficial to avoid gluten, soy, sugar, and pasteurized dairy products. Most people have difficulties digesting these foods, which can lead to many health problems such as leaky gut, weight loss resistance, joint pain, headaches, gas, bloating, etc.
I have created an easy to read one page graphic, Eat Real Food…A Diet Template which makes it easy to see which foods should be included in a nutrient dense diet, along with which foods are best avoided. If you would like me to send you a pdf of this graphic for free, click the link above.
2. Exercise
I think we can all agree that exercise is a must in order to stay healthy. The best type of exercise to engage in mimics the movement our early ancestors may have gotten. For example, they often had to sprint when hunting or to avoid danger. They also lifted, pulled, and pushed heavy objects.
What our early ancestors did NOT do is spend hours on the treadmill in a gym.
Exercise that focuses on short bursts of intense exercise, followed by periods of rest will provide maximum benefits. This short, but intense, type of workout needs only to be done two or three times per week. On off days, going for walks, playing with your kids, or doing other activities you enjoy like golf, tennis, or yoga will round out your exercise routine really well.
3. Detoxification
Our bodies are flooded with more toxins than ever before in history. We are exposed to them through the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the many chemical products we use in our homes and on our skin.
While the amount of toxins that we are exposed to can be overwhelming to think about, the good news is that our bodies have the natural capability to detoxify. Unfortunately, our detoxification systems have become overworked due to the amount of toxins we encounter on a daily basis.
The solution? Begin working to remove the sources of toxins from your life that you have control over, while simultaneously nourishing your body to support the natural elimination of toxins. This combination will improve your body’s ability to remove the toxins that you cannot help but come into contact with.
4. Self-Care
Self-care happens in many forms. One of the most important ones is to establish a good sleep routine because optimal health does not happen if we are depriving ourselves of sleep. Some of the wide reaching consequences of not getting enough sleep include weight loss resistance, increased risk for heart disease, a weakened immune system, increased blood pressure, short-term memory impairment, and less tolerance to stress.
Another critical area of self-care is stress management. While some level of stress is to be expected in life, it becomes problematic when it turns into chronic stress. Americans are more stressed than ever before, and it causes problems like insomnia, increased fat storage, food cravings, headaches, and fatigue, just to name a few.
Nurturing the relationships in our lives is another form of self-care. Relationships can either be a source of great joy in your life, or a source of great stress and tension. (And occasionally a relationship can be both, depending on the day!) Human beings are relational people, and we require human interaction, support, and love in order to truly thrive in our lives. Taking time to nurture the relationships in your life helps lower the risk of heart disease, decrease the amount of stress hormones produced, improve mental health, and increase happiness.
5. Spirituality
Finally, we arrive at spirituality, an often over-looked component to health. For many people, spirituality will entail religious beliefs and practices. For others, this may include a search for purpose and meaning in life, or a recognition of the interconnectedness of all humanity.
No matter which path a person follows, spirituality provides a sense of inner peace, joy, and happiness that is truly difficult to achieve without it. It allows you to live in the present moment and to believe that your life has a purpose and meaning beyond the sometimes mundane details of your day to day existence. People who are spiritually healthy tend to achieve greater health overall.
Where to Begin with Healthy Living?
These 5 Pillars of Health represent a journey. In fact, I don’t think anyone ever achieves “perfect” health. It is virtually impossible to be perfect in each of the 5 Pillars all of the time. However, every small step we take towards a healthier life can lead to huge results.
A solid nutritional plan lays the foundation for overall health, and that may be the area you need to start working on. For many people, examining their diet is a great jumping off point to living a healthier life. But maybe one of the other areas resonates with you more at this time. Maybe you know that you have been neglecting another area. Maybe your path to better health needs to start by turning your attention towards your sleeping habits or possibly exercise.
I recommend taking a minute to tune in with what your body is telling you, and then start there. What are you in most need of right now? Be realistic with yourself and start with one small change that you can turn into a new habit.
But I Just Want to Enjoy Life…
I often hear people say that life is too short, and they just want to enjoy it. Often that means they want to be able to eat whatever tastes good to them and not worry about the consequences, or sometimes they mean that they don’t want to make time to exercise. It can also mean that they don’t want to sleep more than 5 hours a night so that they have time for other things.
But here’s my firm belief…Life IS too short, so I want to make every minute count! How do I do that? By nurturing my body, mind, and spirit through the 5 Pillars of Health so that I have the energy and ability to pursue what matters most to me in my life.
Yes, it takes time and effort to focus on nourishing my body, mind, and spirit, but healthy living is so worth it because it allows me to give the best of myself to whatever I am doing with the rest of my time.
And remember…if you would like the free copy of my graphic, Eat Real Food…a Diet Template, which shows the foundation of a healthy diet, click the button below to download it for free.
Download the Eat Real Food Graphic
So what about you? Are you ready to start making the most out of your life? Please let me know in the comments below which of the 5 Pillars of Health you want to start working on first!
