4 Pillars of health
Hello Reader, Welcome to the second edition of our 52 health and wellness letters. Let's start with discussing the most fundamental idea, the pillars of wellness and health. What are they? And why are they so important that we have to start with them? When I started studying wellness and coaching, I needed a highlight or kind of summary or pillars that summarise wellbeing. Something that I could hold on to and then walk myself and anyone else through all it takes to achieve healthy living. I am glad you are taking this first step with me. Maybe you already guessed that - healthy living starts with what we eat, move, behave and recharge. Those are the four to extrapolate our health journey from. If you are ready, then let's get started. The Pillars of Wellness and Health
These are the areas where our round-the-year discussion starts and ends. They may look small, but they are the keys to being able to touch deep into the genetics of our being and change things physically if we wish. You are what you have been eating. Have you heard the saying that 'you are what you eat'? It's true. In the future, we will physically display, enjoy or suffer the effects of our lifelong dieting. There is still time to reconsider and transform our dietary choices based on current scientific information. This information will help us sort the food we eat, whether healthy or unhealthy, their impacts on our bodies and how we function. Things can be changed, including using the correct foodstuffs, the quantity and whatever makes the difference. The second pillar is our level of activities, the amount of movement and exercise we get. There is a set minimum activity level with the health benefits of keeping our body functioning optimally. The recommendation is that adults require a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75-minute vigorous-intensity aerobic activity or their equivalent combination per week and muscle-strengthening activities. That's in theory, but how is it going to work? You have some questions and grey areas to clarify. It's part of what we will be doing in the 52 letters. Recharge: this is as simple as it sounds, as it is the time the body uses to rest, rebuild, re-energise, regrow, and recover. If you deprive yourself of sleep, your body reacts in negative ways. We should be smart enough to know that resting reflects positively on efficiency. The final pillar is behavioural health, which includes a range of aspects such as stress management, coping skills, mindfulness, anxiety, and overcoming obstacles. Understanding stress and managing it is essential for maintaining good mental health. Before we draw the curtain, let me ask you a question. At which one of the pillars do you feel you have done so well? And if you are to grade yourself out of ten, what will you score? You can participate in the survey by mailing me your reply, together we will see what people think. Regarding updates from Alive & Well, I will say that submissions have been slow. I am not sure why the drop. My best guess is that the internet has not yet fully recognised the web name. But then, we still had some new publications you may want to read.
Thank you for your time reading this week's health and wellness letter. Hope to see you next week. Stay alive and well, Dr. Serge Health Coach |