Health is a multifaceted concept, encompassing various elements that work together to create a state of overall well-being. From the food we eat to our daily habits, each component plays a crucial role in shaping our health. Here, we explore the foundational forces that contribute to optimal health and well-being.
Food: The Blueprint for Health
Food is a foundational force for health. What we eat creates a blueprint for our biology, as our bodies regenerate and replace all our cells every seven years. Eating whole, minimally processed foods improves metabolic health, supports gut microbiome balance, and maintains hormonal stability by providing essential nutrients and antioxidants. Conversely, engineered and processed foods harm our metabolic health, gut microbiome, and hormone balance, contributing to diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and dementia.
Movement: Essential for Balance and Wellness
Human bodies work best when they experience regular movement. Not only is movement essential for health, but its lack leads to imbalance and illness. No drug or supplement has ever outperformed exercise in a study, as our genes evolved to thrive with regular movement. Maintaining healthy, lean muscle mass through exercise is crucial for preventing chronic diseases, enhancing overall well-being, and supporting both physical and cognitive health, with higher muscle mass linked to lower mortality and reduced risk of metabolic disorders and cognitive decline. It is never too late to start moving.
Stress: Balancing the Positive and Negative
Stress can occasionally be a positive force, especially when balanced with purpose and joy. Unfortunately, in today’s fast-paced world, many people grapple with chronic perceived stress, which our bodies respond to more significantly than actual danger. This constant pressure often leads to hormonal dysregulation, with initial excessive cortisol production followed by underproduction. Addressing this requires a multifaceted strategy, including activities that regulate our nervous system to reset our physiological stress responses.
Sleep: The Undervalued Pillar
We live in a culture that undervalues sleep. High-quality sleep allows the body to repair and regenerate tissues, regulate hormones, and strengthen the immune system. Chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to an increased risk of various health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and weakened immune function. Like diet and exercise, sleep can be improved through coaching and lifestyle changes, optimizing our health and well-being.
Reducing Inflammation: Mindful Exposure
Various exposures can lead to excessive inflammation in our bodies, which can result in autoimmunity, cancer, mental health problems, and many other ailments. Inflammation occurs when we are exposed to foods, cosmetics, or inhaled substances that trigger an overwhelming immune response. We must be careful to consider what we are exposed to and how it affects our physiology.
Natural Elements: Sunlight and Temperature
Human beings have been on Earth for about 200,000 years, and for all but the last 100 years, we have been exposed to natural sunlight and temperature variations. Our cells evolved to function optimally when exposed to sunlight at regular intervals and in sync with day/night cycles. Spending excessive time indoors under artificial lights makes us prone to illness and disease. Additionally, for most of human history, humans have had to endure a wide range of temperatures throughout the seasons. Now it is possible to maintain a comfortable, unchanging environmental temperature regardless of the natural conditions. Cellular mechanisms have been uncovered that account for better health with more temperature variations, such as in the sauna or cold plunge.
Community: The Power of Connection
We are social creatures and cannot enjoy real health without community and connection. Though we live in a culture that favors individualism, we need each other to heal and stay healthy. Like everything else in the natural world, we are implicitly connected to each other. Loneliness and isolation not only injure our hearts, but the cells of our bodies suffer measurably when we aren’t connected.
Self-Connection: Finding Purpose
In addition to being connected to each other, we need to be connected to ourselves and our deeper purpose in life to achieve real health. Our bodies and minds are intricately connected, and neither can thrive if the other isn’t in balance. The human experience consists of inevitable highs and lows, and no human being is fully exempt from the messiness that life sometimes presents. The degree to which we are able to stay with our experiences without running away is directly proportional to our level of happiness and health. Each human being is profoundly unique, and we must be courageous enough to examine our dark and light sides to truly inhabit the lives we were given. It is only then that we can truly give to others, contribute to the world, and live with a purpose that will ultimately define our health.
By embracing these foundational aspects of health, we can create a balanced, fulfilling, and healthy life. Each element is interconnected, contributing to our overall well-being and helping us thrive in all aspects of life
