4 PILLARS OF WELLNESS
Woman sitting on the top of a mountain overlooking bay
While there are innumerable things we can do to improve our health, living a healthy lifestyle can be simplified! It’s about returning to the basics and what we know deep down is really good for our health and longevity. Here are four basic pillars of wellness that are beautifully simple.
1. GET OUTSIDE IN NATURE
- Walking in nature and exposing ourselves to green environments is proven to lower blood pressure and reduce stress, anxiety and even ADHD. I like to say “nature helps us to get out of our heads and into our bodies” by connecting us to our senses on a deeper level. When you are having trouble focusing or experiencing racing thoughts, getting outside can help by stimulating our senses thereby shifting the focus from thoughts to physical sensations.
-Exercise has been shown to be as effective at lifting depression as antidepressants (James A. Blumenthal Ph.D. and colleagues 1999 study). Results are especially good if the movement happens outside and forest environments seem to have a particularly strong antidepressant effect (https://www,ncbi.nim.nih.gov/pubmed/17055544).
- The Journal of Aging and Health reported that people over the age of 70 who spent time outside experienced better quality of sleep, less joint and general pain/discomfort, and benefited from greater mobility and ability to show up for daily tasks with enough energy.
- Exposing ourselves to sunrise or morning light regulates our nervous system and melatonin levels which leads to more balanced energy cycles and better sleep. However, getting out in the sunshine any time of day can help. If that is not possible, opening the curtains during the daytime and sitting near the window is the next best thing to assist with sleep cycles.
2. STAY HYDRATED
- Water carries nutrients and oxygen to our cells! Staying hydrated is essential to every part of our health and wellbeing.
- Water lubricates the joints, regulates blood pressure, detoxifies the body, aids in digestion, boosts skin health, forms saliva… you name it, water helps us “flow” through life more easily.
-According to H.H. Mitchell, Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery: 31%. The average person’s body is composed of 60% water on average, with a range of 50-75% depending on age and gender. When you look at the numbers it is no wonder drinking water is so highly touted!
3. GET ENOUGH SLEEP
- At Hypnotherapy and Wellness, we talk about the importance of good sleep hygiene all the time! When we are asleep, the body is detoxifying, cells are being regenerated, the mind is recharging, and the brain is being nourished.
- Getting enough deep sleep is essential for alertness during the day and keeping stress levels low. Furthermore, sleeping enough helps us remain emotionally stable and improves our mood.
- Sleep also helps with weight management and reduces the risk of disease.
4. EAT YOUR VEGETABLES
- This may send you back to your childhood when mom and dad were nagging you to eat your veggies at the dinner table but despite all that nagging, most Americans are still under-nourished. Most of us are not getting enough nutrients in our normal diets. Nutrients are molecules in food that all organisms need to make energy, grow, develop, and reproduce. Vegetables contain many of these important nutrients we are missing in our regular diets. For example, a recent study conducted as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) indicates that U.S. children and adults have high rates of deficiency of vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and folate, as well as the mineral iron.
- Eating the right amount of vegetables also boosts our digestion by delivering fiber to the body. Fiber can slow down nutrient absorption leading to lower blood glucose and cholesterol levels. Insoluble fiber primarily works like a broom. It softens and adds bulk to our stools to maintain bowel regularity. .
Let us know in the comments what you are incorporating more of! If you are having trouble with insomnia, check out my course ‘Six Weeks to Better Sleep’ or my package of hypnosis recordings for insomnia!