The Five Pillars of health
My Top Five By Brenda Colyer
Life span: The length of time for which a person or animal lives.
Health span: The part of a person’s life during which they are generally in good health.
Ideally, the place where the two intersect is very, very late in life.
In my opinion, the most important elements to keep in check to live in a place of optimal health so we can then live our life to the fullest in every other way is what I refer to as the Five Pillars of Health.
Sleep – protect your sleep. Good, deep sleep is where the magic happens! We recover, repair and restore our bodies to prepare for the day to come. For some reason in our society we seem to boast about the fact that we sleep very little and spend our days filled with non-stop activity. I put sleep on the top of this list because without good sleep, everything on the list below will suffer.
Nutrition – “Eat real food, mostly plants and not too much,” is a quote from Michael Pollen, professor of Science and Environmental Journalism at UC Berkeley and award winning author. I can give advice regarding nutrition very quickly by saying just that. Think about the changes in your own diet that you would need to make by adhering to those 3 simple principles! If you are already on board with these concepts, the next step is to fine tune the food you eat by being mindful of how those foods make you feel. A food can be “real” but can also be “really bad” for you if you lack the enzymes to digest it or if you have an allergy to it. Being aware of how you feel after your meal is a great step in achieving the results you’re looking for. Bottom line, food should never rob you of your energy.
Movement – We all know that daily movement is essential for overall health and wellness. How much do you really move every day? It’s not a Monday-Wednesday-Friday requirement. Movement is essential every day, throughout the day, to the best of your present capacity. Of course I’m a fan of vigorous exercise, but I think it’s important to think of “working out” as a practice that comes on top of regular activity throughout your day.
Friends and family – having a good social network is vital for maintaining optimal physical health. Studies have shown that those with good social connections experience better overall health. In our busy lives, just as we might need to include our exercise sessions on our daily planner to ensure we make time for it, doing the same in terms of scheduling time with family and friends can be helpful as well.
Spirituality – this can take on many forms and can mean something different to each of us. Truly knowing your beliefs and having a deep connection with a higher power and allowing Grace to enter your life and guide you along the way, will keep you anchored in times of turmoil and will keep your perspective in times of success. Practicing daily gratitude can certainly help us lead a more spiritual life.
Of course this is my list and these are my opinions. What is on your top 5 list?