Your Everyday Health Matters
As we move into 2022 there are a couple of mantras that keep coming to me.
Your Everyday Health Matters
And
Good Health and Wellbeing is an Active Practice
These two mantras are especially relevant because of the times we are living in now, going into the third year of a global pandemic. Only a short 3-4 years ago a pandemic was the stuff of movies or diseases of yesteryear - the black plague, the spanish flu.
I feel quite grateful and think we have been lucky compared to the pandemics of the past, which were ruthless, killing and maiming everything in their path - man, woman and child. The current virus, though contagious, can be fought with our very own immune system, a healthy strong immune system. And we have medical facilities and research which does their best to support the vulnerable. Unfortunately, if you are immune compromised due to modern day diseases and chronic conditions - autoimmune conditions, cancers, inflammatory conditions, heart disease, diabetes, obesity - your own immune response to the virus is weak and will struggle to step up to the job. The elderly are also more vulnerable, especially if they are living with ‘complicating factors’, and aren’t as robust or able to rally an appropriate immune response to fight and fend off the virus.
And this is why one of my first social media posts of 2020 was “Your Everyday Health Matters”.
To me this means that what you do every day for yourself and your health really does matter. How you feel in your body everyday counts. So a very simple question for you: on the whole, how do you feel?
Alive and vibrant
Clear of mind and focused
Full of energy
Rested with good sleep
Everyday is a new day (of course!), but everyday is a new day to check in with yourself and see how you are feeling within your body and mind, and everyday will be different. What we ate the night before, how we slept, the season, the time of the month, our relationships, our foundational health, will affect how we feel in our body. Checking in every morning is a great way to ground yourself and be present before you launch into your day, knowing how you are feeling will assist in modulating your interactions with the rest of the world - your partner, your kids, your housemates, your work colleagues, your boss, your local barista.
If you are not coming up aces on how you are feeling most days then that is what I am calling your state of everyday health. If your baseline health is optimum then you are set up well to avoid the modern day health epidemics stemming from inflammation that leads to autoimmune conditions, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancers….and you will most likely have a strong immune system. A strong immune system is able to respond appropriately to challenges, and that is what you want. It doesn’t mean you won’t get ill, and run a fever, or have body aches, because this is the response of the immune system. A strong immune system will enable you to respond to the invasion by the pathogen and overcome it.
The best and easiest way to improve your everyday health is influenced by what you do every single day. And it comes down to the basics and is completely in your control. And that is where my second mantra comes into play: Good Health and Wellbeing is an active practice. You must commit and engage with what you choose to do in your life - the food you eat, the activities you do, your wellness practices, your relationships…..you need to Nourish and Breathe.
The food you put into your body everyday is what your body uses to function - if you are eating primarily processed foods, consuming alcohol, coffee, nutrient-poor foods every day, your digestive system and liver is overloaded with low cellular energy and function. If you are not getting outside, breathing fresh air, walking, running, doing yoga, your nervous system does not get the opportunity to switch to parasympathetic mode which is needed for good digestion, sleep, and immunity. Stress is present in all of our lives from the moment we are born, and it often can’t be avoided - we have life responsibilities, but making sure you are filling up your wellbeing cup will reduce the everyday stress response and calm your nervous system. This is the essential component that must be attached to a good clean diet. Diet and lifestyle go hand in hand, and if both are achieved the results are exponential, as opposed trying to do one without the other. We are all individuals, and it is up to you to find your balance and gain your own vitality and life force.
Everyday Wellness Starts here
Eat well
Add more vegetables everyday
Avoid packaged processed foods
Give alcohol and coffee a break
What is your de-stress activity to calm the nervous system?
This is an active practice, this is not scrolling on your screen or Netflix. It’s okay to do those activities within boundaries and with structure; however, it is important to find an activity that allows you to disconnect from life's demands and connect within. It might be only 5 minutes each day, but it is a starting point - mindful breathing, yoga, walking in nature.
Daily Movement
walking, running, gym, HITT, whatever it is that you enjoy.
Sleep
Adequate sleep to restore and reset
If you feel well, strong in mind, body and heart then fears will dissipate, you will trust your body to defend itself and keep you well, and that makes all the difference.
Now……how do you want to feel?