5 Essentials of Good Health
Being well is a deliberate pursuit. You choose to nurture your good health by the actions you take every hour of every day. No, you don’t maintain wellness by accident or by luck. But you do focus on diet and lifestyle keys. I use the acronym NURSE to remember the vital components of a healthy lifestyle: Nourishment, Unwinding from Stress, Restorative Sleep, Sunshine, and Exercise.
Nourish Good Health
There’s a difference between eating and nourishing. The term Hidden Hunger refers to individuals who are starving with their stomachs full. In other words, they are putting nutrient-poor foods into their mouths and missing essential nutrients meal after meal. Although they appear to be eating plenty of food, they can not achieve optimal function. Brain fog, cravings, fatigue, and anxiety are just a few symptoms of Hidden Hunger.
Good health absolutely must incorporate nutrient-dense foods. You should be eating at least 6 cups of vegetables per day, have no fewer than 15-18 grams of protein in a meal, and include natural essential fatty acids in every meal. You can only attribute about 25% of your chronic symptoms to your genes. The rest result from diet and lifestyle.
Unwind Frequently and Consistently
Aside from diet, stress is the greatest contributor to chronic inflammation in the body. Since inflammation is at the root of all chronic disease, we can infer that stress is making you sick! However, you are not likely to remove all stress from your life. The key is to defuse it by conscientious daily – even hourly – exercises. Breathing and stretching are just the beginning. You can employ techniques such as reframing, acupressure, laughter, and journaling. If you need some help knowing how to unwind, or if you want some quick tips that you can employ in just 1 or 2 minutes, check out my Stress Hacks Course.
Restore Good Health Through Sleep
Did you know that sleep deprivation is linked with depression, obesity, and increased risk for substance abuse and suicide? One-third of Americans do not get even the recommended 7 hours of sleep per night, although even that amount is skimpy. A century ago, our forefathers averaged 9 hours a night. But lying in bed for a certain number of hours isn’t the complete requirement. You must arise refreshed, without having had interruptions or poor quality sleep.
Although you can search out many recommendations for better sleep on the internet, one often over-looked remedy for disrupted sleep rhythms is to rebalance blood sugars. Insulin surges throughout the day can contribute to blood sugar crashes at night. When your blood sugar dips, cortisol kicks in to save your brain and vital organs from fuel deprivation. But cortisol is a “wake-up” hormone. You can work with me to normalize your blood sugar patterns.
Soak Up Some Sunshine
Just 15 minutes a day of direct sunlight on your skin can boost immunity, strengthen bones, improve mood, and augment a good night’s rest. Chances are that if you live north of the 42nd parallel, you’re not getting enough sunshine to maintain adequate Vitamin D levels, which impacts heart health as well as gut and immune health. Try these tips to get more sunlight.
Exercise Your Way to Good Health
Movement is essential. You can adapt your plan to your circumstances. An individual with autoimmunity may choose a walk in nature daily, while someone with insulin resistance may opt for interval training. The point is to challenge yourself to do just a little more and a little better each day. Sitting is actually dangerous to your health. Take frequent breaks to get up and move around, and find ways to incorporate movement into your daily routine.
You might find a local gym where you have a variety of choices, such as yoga classes, weight machines, and cross-fit training.
Demographics Don’t Matter
Everyone can and should implement these strategies. You don’t need to be privileged. All cultures, economic backgrounds, personalities, and special needs still need to NURSE their health. We are all created equal in our need for wellness and in our ability to choose nourishing foods and healthy lifestyles.