When we hear the word “health”, it conjures up images of that buff dude at the gym or a slender woman eating salads for every meal. But health means so much more than that and if you focus too much on one area at the detriment of the other pillars of health, you could be tanned and muscular but still be super unhealthy and out of balance. We don’t want that.
Let’s talk about what those pillars are and then a great strategy to apply them in your life. Of course, we could fill an entire site with details about each one of these on their own so this is a topline… think of it as more of a thought starter. We will talk about each pillar in much more detail in later posts.
Pillars of Good Health
- Nutrition
I’m sure you’ve heard the term, “garbage in, garbage out”. Well that’s certainly the case when it comes to what we eat. If you fill your place with healthy fruits, vegetables, proteins and fats, you will feel markedly different than you will when you fill your belly with potato chips and chocolate bars. Our cells need fuel. Food is the main fuel to propel our bodies and our minds. As a nutritionist, I could talk about this subject all day – but that doesn’t mean that I always make the best choices either. No judgment here.
- Exercise
This is a weighty subject. I think I’ll run for the hills now. Haha. Exercise could be anything from standing up for one minute each hour while working to going hard at the gym or running a marathon. Every person has their own preferences in how they move their bodies. The most important thing here is simply to… move your beautiful body.
- Water
The majority of the human body is made up of water. Did you know that the brain and the heart are made up of about 73% water? We then lose water each day through breathing, sweating and urinating so it’s critical to rehydrate. Drinking the classic recommended 8 glasses of water each day has been the mantra for the past several decades. That amount is contested, but what no one argues about is whether we need water. We do.
- Sunshine
Sweet, sweet sunshine! We live in one of the sunniest cities in our province and I am so grateful for that. Getting outside in the sun (safely, not suggesting that we rub oil on ourselves and lay on a beach here… please don’t do that) each day has many benefits including helping our bodies produce vitamin D, improving mood and mental health, it often comes with exercise and fresh air. These are all such good things.
- Rest
It’s important to not only get a solid sleep each night but to make sure that it is a high quality sleep. A healthy immune system requires rest, as does concentration and improved mood and memory. Those days and weeks that are disruptive to our rest cycles wreak havoc on our overall mental and physical health.
- Air
Breathe in… breathe out… breathe in… breathe out. Breathing clean air is critical to our health. Don’t smoke. Don’t vape. Just don’t. We know better today. I smoked cigarettes for 27 years and struggled to quit. It’s just not worth it. I might be a millionaire today if I hadn’t wasted so much money in those years on something that so harmful. Happy to say that I’ve been smoke free for many years now and so much happier and healthier for it.
- BONUS: Spiritual
This may be one of the most important pillars of our health. Having a life that is full of love and hope and kindness and community is just so amazing. Whatever ways that you can nurture your spiritual side, please do that. It’s so, so good for you.
How to apply these health pillars
Honestly, I feel like each pillar of healthy living is important but we are all at different places in each of these areas. The best way to approach this is to recognize where we are and start building better habits from that place. There is no point in buying only vegetables on the weekend and then eating McDonald’s hamburgers every day for lunch and tossing the vegetables before the next shop. Maybe you’re great at getting outside and breathing fresh air and soaking in the sunshine but you are not fueling your body with the best foods or getting enough sleep at night. Or maybe you go to the gym every day and you’re strong but then you consume cigarettes and alcohol all weekend while you party.
The first step to healthier habits is to take a good hard look at where you are today and what areas could use the most work. Then tackle them from the place where you are. Don’t expect to dead lift 300 lbs when you can barely open a door. It’s a surefire way to fail. Work your way up from where you are.
Remember that every good decision compounds on the ones before it to provide an overall healthy experience.
If you were to curate your perfect day, would it include some or all of these pillars?