A Functional & Holistic Guide to Feeling Your Best!
If you are reading this, you are either thinking about or actively working towards elevating your health and your life. So congratulations on caring enough about yourself to be willing to learn the essentials of optimal health!
As you will come to understand, all of these essentials are interconnected, or at least than can and should be. Depending on where you currently are in your personal health journey, you may be doing really well in some areas while needing more help in others.
Start where you are.
Sustainable change towards a healthier lifestyle is more achievable if you take it one step at a time and celebrate your mini successes. Which of these 8 essentials seems the most attainable to you at this time? Start there! Get some momentum and keep moving forward.
Whole Food
“Eat food,not too much, mostly plants.” -Michael Pollan
Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables (organic when possible), humanely raised meats, gluten-free grains and seeds. Reduce sugar intake and processed carbohydrates as much as possible.
There is a lot of confusion out there about what we should be eating and there is no shortage of diets out there to choose from. I’ve looked into many of them and guess what? They tend to all advocate eating more vegetables, eating whole, real foods, and cutting back on processed food and sugar. Of course one way of eating does not necessarily work for everyone and some individuals may require more guidance and specific modifications to their eating habits.
2. Stress Perception & Reaction
“Someone else’s action should not determine your reaction.”
-Dali Lama
While the thought of reducing or managing stress may sound stressful in itself, looking at stressful situations in a different way, putting things into perspective, and learning tools to help you react better in stressful situations will usually be more realistic and attainable.
Have you ever freaked out about something only to realize later that it wasn’t that big of a deal after all? The crazy thing is, our brain doesn’t know the difference between a seriously stressful situation and something that we are over-reacting to. Our bodies then respond by releasing hormones, raising our blood pressure, and tensing up our muscles so we are ready for “fight or flight.” This is very helpful in actual threatening situations but when occurring often can lead to more serious health issues.
3. Safe Movement
“Exercise is the key not only to physical health but to peace of mind.”
-Nelson Mandela
In our mostly sedentary lifestyle these days, regular and safe movement is necessary for optimal health. It is important to start where you are, moving your body in a way that you are physically and mentally able to at the current time. A PubMed literature review found that regular physical activity actually increases your life expectancy. While there is no “magic pill” that will help us live longer, there is exercise!
I find that many people become intimidated by the thought of exercise, they don’t know what to do or where to start. Working with a professional, like a physical therapist or a personal trainer can be extremely helpful to people new to exercise or wanting to make a change in their routine. The important thing is to start! You can start by just going for a walk.
4. Fun!
“Never, ever underestimate the importance of having fun.”
-Randy Pausch
Adults need fun and play too! Make time for fun, with others or on your own, not involving electronics or other mind-numbing activities. Bonus: Get outside, enjoy nature, and all of the beauty Mother Earth has to offer. People are so serious these days with all that’s going on in our lives and this world, we have to lighten up and let loose every once in a while.
What are some things that you enjoy doing, that are fun for you? This could be hanging out with friends, reading a book, creating some art work, or taking a bike ride with your kids. Whatever is fun for you, do more of it!
5. Sleep
“Inadequate sleep—even moderate reductions for just one week—disrupts blood sugar levels so profoundly that you would be classified as pre-diabetic.”
- Matthew Walker, Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
So many people are confused about what adequate sleep really is. Sleep affects your metabolism, mental clarity, mood, heart health, and immunity. Getting enough good quality sleep is vital to one’s health and wellbeing.
Individuals are struggling with sleep for a variety of different reasons. Perhaps they can’t get their mind to shut off due to working or watching TV before bed, they are having too much sugar or caffeine during the day, or eating too late at night. A simple change in routine or habits can make a world of difference in one’s sleep quality. There is truly something to be said about simply adhering to a bedtime and creating a bedtime routine so that you can wake up feeling refreshed and start your day off right!
6. Mental Health
“The mind is a powerful instrument. Every thought, every emotion that you create changes the very chemistry of your body.” -Sadhguru
We all have some unresolved emotional baggage and unpleasant feelings of the mind that are often stored in the body’s cells and felt through the physical body. Creating a practice of meditation and mindfulness will assist you to expand the confinement of your thoughts. Addressing past trauma may also be an important step in improving mental health for many individuals.
Sadly, many of us get stuck in our heads a story about ourselves. We play this story over and over again in our heads and we believe it to be our truth. What if that identity that we are attached to, that story we are telling ourselves is nothing but perception? If we are willing to work at it, we are capable of changing our story to one that makes us feel good and therefore elevate our lives!
Of course, some mental health conditions can be seriously debilitating to many who will require medical care.
7. Spirituality
“Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.” -Buddha
No matter what a person’s belief is, knowing there is God or something greater than ourselves can greatly benefit our health. Feeding our soul is as important as feeding our physical body. Knowing and feeling the connectedness to others through our oneness with the Universe can provide an overall sense of well-being.
Rising consciousness through a regular spiritual practice in conjunction with taking action that aligns with your spiritual being, morals, and values will lead you to a life of health and happiness. Regardless of religion, most spiritual leaders promote and exhibit love. The more love you have in your heart and put out into the world, the closer you feel to spirit and the more joy you will feel.
8. Community & Environment
“The power of community to create health is far greater than any physician, clinic or hospital.”
-Dr. Mark Hyman
These are factors that can be beyond our ability or means to change, however, we cannot leave out the importance that community and environment have on our health and wellbeing. It’s important to be aware of how your community and the people around you can either support your health or make it more difficult to live a healthy lifestyle. Many people struggle to attain a healthy lifestyle due to difficulty accessing resources, such as health care and healthy whole food.
According to FeedingAmerica.ORG, “In 2017, an estimated 1 in 8 Americans were food insecure, equating to 40 million Americans including more than 12 million children.” This is why we need programs and services that help people access healthy food.
Additionally, our physical environments, including our households, workplaces, cosmetics, the air we breath and water we drink are often contaminated with many different toxins. This means our organs that work to natural detoxifying our systems working overtime. Choose more natural household and cosmetic products or make your own when possible to reduce your exposure to environmental toxins.
Thank you for taking the time to review this guide to optimal health. I truly believe that all of these items mentioned above are essential to focus on in order to elevate our health and our lives and to become the best versions of ourselves. You have one life and one body (unless you believe in reincarnation), so make the most of it! You deserve to live a life full of happiness, wellness, love, and joy.
If you are interested in learning how we can work together to reach your optimal health, please reach out to schedule a free consultation.
Much Love & Light,
Carrie
Carrie Noel, Health Coach www.ElevatedEarthWellness.com
Email: Carrie@elevatedearthwellness.com Follow: @ElevatedEarthChild
Call: +1 510-239-7776
Disclaimer: This Blog and Website contain material for educational purposes only. I recommend that you discuss with or notify your physician when starting a new eating plan or exercise program.