The 9 Foundations of Health

First it is important to know what exactly health is.....

What is Health?

The constitution of the World Health Organization states: "Health is the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity".

What is Holistic Health?

Holistic Health focuses on the body, mind and spirit.

• Body-Our physical structure

• Mind-Is a part of a person that gives awareness of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel with the capability of thought and wakefulness.

• Spirit- Is the nonphysical part of an individual which houses the emotions and character, commonly known as the soul.

There are nine foundations that play a huge role in your health everyday!

The nine foundations of Health include:

• Air

• Water

• Food

• Sunlight

• Exercise

• Rest

• Balanced emotions

• Body & Energy work

• Spirituality

Air

We can roughly survive only 3+ minutes without air which makes air a very important foundation. Although we are always breathing air, majority of individuals do not have the desired breathing patterns or they are breathing in air that contains irritants. The air we need to be breathing in should not contain chemicals or allergens.

You can improve your air quality by:

• Adding live plants to each room of your house

• Use air purifiers to help clean your air

• Open the windows to bring in fresh air assuming the air quality is good in your area

• Avoid chemicals in your home such as: candles, wax melts, artificial fragrances, cleaning products

• Do not allow anyone to smoke inside of your home

Water

Water makes up roughly two-thirds of our body according to most studies. Men are about 60% water and women are about 55%. The higher percentage of body fat you have lowers the percentage of water in your body. You should be drinking 50% of your bodyweight in ounces of water per day to help maintain fluid composition.

Signs of dehydrations:

• Dark yellow urine, likely with a strong smell

• Headaches/Mirgraines

• Digestion issues

• Feeling Dizziness/lightheaded

• Less frequent urination

• Tiredness

• Dry mouth/lips

• Sunken eyes

• Feeling thirsty

• Swollen feet

• Loss of appetite but potentially craving sugar

• Weakness

• Flushed (red skin)

• High heart rate but low blood pressure

If you suspect dehydration at all immediately drink some electrolytes.

Story time:

We recently went to Florida and it was HOT. We went out with our 5 children to play putt putt golf and by the time we got to the end my 7 year old (at the time) looked at me and said I am hot, I can't see and I can't walk and dropped to the ground quick. I grabbed him and ran to our van to get him in the a/c and drove him to our condo. After giving him some electrolytes I put him right in a cool shower. Immediately gave him more electrolytes as he got out. It took him about an hour or so to feel normal again. He said "I didn't know where you were or who was taking me". He was just so out of it. He only saw black, and was very dizzy, and weak. It was very scary but so glad we acted quickly to help him feeling better quick. Becoming dehydrated and combined with heat exhaustion is no joke. We are so good at drinking water but in the midst of the fun he just wasn't drinking enough. His body was sweating more water and salt than he was taking in and it was not good. It was definitely a learning experience for the rest of our trip. I made sure my kids were drinking even when they didn't feel thirsty in that moment.

Keep in mind our bodies can roughly absorb 4oz of water every 30 minutes. So it is ideal to drink that amount every 30 minutes to ensure you are getting all of your water intake in a day and getting the most out of it.

What does water do for our body?

• Water helps us keep a normal temperature.

• Lubricates and cushion joints.

• Protects your spinal cord and other sensitive tissues.

• Removes wastes through urination, perspiration, and bowel movements.

I will go more into detail about water in a later blog.

Food

Food is so important because you can't survive long with out food. You need a diet filled with nutrient dense REAL food! This would be whole foods: fruits, vegetables, meat, etc. Not packaged, processed, chemically altered "food products" that people commonly eat out of convenience. The more natural your food is the easier your body digests it, the more nutrients your body absorbs from it, and the easier it is for your body to eliminate the waste.

I thoroughly enjoy this quote I learned in school as an easy reminder of what real food is and what we should be consuming.

"If it ran through a field, flew in the sky, swam in water, fell from a tree, or grew from the ground, then it's real food which has been provided for our nutrition."

*Please be mindful to shop the perimeter of the grocery store, where fresh food is found, avoid the isles where mostly everything is boxed.

*The first 3 foundations I just referred to Air, Water, & Food are necessary for our physical structure but health is much more than just the physical.

"Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope." -Hal Lindsey

Sunlight

It is ideal to start your day off with sunlight exposure. Our sleep inducing hormone Melatonin is secreted in response to dim lights. So waking up and getting outside to soak up the early morning sunlight to shut off your melatonin production is helpful to awaken and help energize your body.

Benefits of sunlight:

• Vitamin D (this is produced in the skin after exposure to sunlight)

• Strengthens bones

• Boosts mood

• Kills bacteria

• Improve quality of sleep

• May reduce high blood pressure

It is ideal to at least get 10-15 minutes of sunlight a day. Although I encourage maybe 30 mins to 1 hour and combine it with a nice nature walk and soak up the beauty, fresh air, and sunlight while getting some exercise.

Exercise

It is recommended by the CDC that you at least get 2.5-5 hours of moderate intensity aerobic activity per week in addition to whole body moderate or high intensity muscle strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week.

https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/prevention/polocies_practices/physical_activity/guidelines.htm

Some ideas to get you moving are:

• Dancing

• Swimming

• Biking

• Playing with your kids

• Rebounding

• Gardening

• Boxing

• Take a walk

• Jog/Run on a treadmill

• Weightlifting

• Stretching

• Hiking

• Lunge

• Stair Stepper

• Yoga

• Pilates

Some Health Benefits of Exercise are:

• Increases circulation and moves your lymphatic fluids throughout your body helping your body to detoxify.

• Improves your brain health

• Helps reduce the risk of disease

• Helps reduce cardiovascular & other chronic diseases such as cancer & diabetes

• Helps increase your bone density which lowers your risk for osteoporosis

• Improves your mental health (reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety)

• Helps control your weight, reduces body fat, and helps build lean muscle

• Help your body manage blood sugar and insulin levels

• Help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age

• Increases longevity

How to increase circulation and move your lymphatic system without exercise:

• Dry Brushing

• Light stretching

• Infrared sauna

• Drink plenty of water through out your day

Rest

• It is preferred that you aim for 8 hours of sleep per night.

• Quiet time: read a book, meditation, quiet reflection

• Take a bath (detox bath would be beneficial as well)

• Stress relieving body work

• Go out with a friend

• Get a massage

• Do something you enjoy (painting, colouring, sit outside, etc)

How to improve your sleep quality:

• Go to bed at the same time every night, and wake up at the same time everyday

• Don't eat heavy meals later in the day but don't go to bed hungry

• Keep your bedroom on the cooler side and dark to help the natural rhythmic release of hormones melatonin and cortisol.

• Limit bright lights. This includes all electronics; tv, computers, cellphone, etc after sunset and avoid them at least 30 mins to 1 hour prior to bed.

• Ground while enjoying the sunset helps stimulate your production of melatonin naturally.

Balanced Emotions

"When angry count to ten before you speak. If very angry, count to one hundred." -Thomas Jefferson

It's very important to remember to "Act, don't react", if something is a trigger for you in a negative way, have the self control to reflect on the situation, figure out why you feel this way, and then make a thoughtful decision on how you will react or not react based on that trigger prior to moving forward.

In addition to pausing and self-reflecting, their are more ways that can help you release negative emotions:

• Use breathing techniques

• Use visualization to help calm the emotions you are feeling

• Demonstrate gratefulness, verbally, in a journal or most importantly through prayer

• Try to understand the emotions and actions of others

• Respect the experience, whether it was good or bad, use it as a learning experience and release the negative emotion toward it.

*These modalities may also be helpful in balancing your emotions such as Homeopathy, Bach flower essences, acupressure, and aromatherapy. (I would advise speaking with a Holistic Practitioner for help in finding which modalities best suits you)

Body & Energy Work

Conflict, whether physiological, or mental can result in physical pains in the body. When you experience pain it is a warning sign that deeper issues exist.

A few types of body & energy work are:

• Prayer

• Yoga

• Stretching

• Meditation

• Acupressure/Acupunture

• Breathing techniques

• Qigong

• Tai Chi

• Chiropractic

• Massage

• Reiki

• Reflexology

• Craniosacral therapy

• Healing touch

Spirituality

In Holistic Health we focus on the Mind, Body, & Spirit. Spirituality is the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/spirituality

Prayer and other religious practices are very helpful for those working on individual spirituality. Some may also be interested in acts of charity or meditating on God. Spiritual practices are helpful in calming your mind.

Some of the studied benefits of prayer and spiritual practices include:

• Quicker healing

• Improvement in blood pressure

• Improved Immunity

• Decreased risk of stroke

• Decrease in depression

References:

My Cleveland clinic. 2023, June 6. Dehydration. Retrieved on 8/25/23 from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/9013-dehydration.

n.a. (n.d) Water and Healthier drinks. Retrieved on 8/25/2023 from: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/water-and-healthier-drinks.html

Hall, K. 2023, July 26. 6 ways sunlight can benefit your health. Retrieved on 8/25/23 from: https://www.goodrx.com/health-topic/environmental/benefits-of-sunlight

n.a. (n.d.) Benefits of Physical Activity. Retrieved on 8/25/23 from: https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm#:~:text=Being%20physically%20active%20can%20improve,activity%20gain%20some%20health%20benefits.

Ameling, L. (n.d) The foundations of Health. Retrieved on 8/25/23 from: Trinity School of Natural Health

Bell, C. 2021, May 18. 83 Ways to Rest and Recharge, Whether You Have 5 Minutes or an Hour. Retrieved on 8/25/23 from: https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/rest-relaxation-ideas-any-time-36921423

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