The Foundations of Health

paulread posted on February 16, 2009 09:08

Why do people often struggle to be healthy, lose weight and achieve their health and performance goals? These questions have long been asked without any definitive answers given. Body in Action provides you with an approach to help you balance your life, building a solid foundation from which to grow.

Many people go to the gym regularly, pounding away on the treadmill and getting on and off weights machines and have probably noticed that more often than not nothing really happens. Have you ever thought why that is? Well let me enlighten you slightly. Exercise is a stress in the fact that it involves the breakdown of body tissues and although we need exercise as part of our regular routine, it is essential that we undertake the right exercise for your current health status and also that your body is ready for it and able to recover adequately!

For the scope of this article I would like to focus on the most effective ways in which to build on the six foundation of health principles which will ensure you are working towards optimal health, enabling you to build the body and life you have always wanted.

1. Thoughts – Dr Denis Waitley, key note speaker in the area of productivity stated:

“It’s not what you are that holds you back; it’s what you think you are not.”

Research has shown that on average we think 68,000 times per day and 90% of those thoughts are negative! Self doubts and barriers are often responsible for stopping us in the pursuit of our goals and this can be overcome by having a clear vision of what you want to achieve. We often think about what we don’t want to a lot of the time, therefore drawing the very thing we don’t want towards us.

Many experts say you must begin with the end in mind and this involves setting short, medium and long term targets to strive for, which will help build confidence each time we achieve. Targets should be monitored regularly and re-adjusted if necessary.

2. Breathing - We can live many days without eating or drinking but only a few minutes without breathing. We breathe over 20,000 times a day. If our breathing pattern is less than optimal it can have a profound effect on our health and wellbeing; ultimately leading to problems in our digestive systems, detoxification systems, organ health, posture and sympathetic nervous system which will lead to an increased stress response with every breath, In a nut shell this will greatly reduce your ability to lose weight and achieve your goals. Some experts believe that 75% of all diseases involve a breathing dysfunction.

Try the breathing to 5 technique:

Lie down face up with your legs bent and bum on the floor.

Breathe in through your nose which will expand your belly first as this ensures you are using your diaphragm optimally

Then breathe out through your mouth taking 1 second to inhale and one second to exhale
Repeat, inhaling in for 2 seconds and exhaling for 2 seconds
Work up to 5 second inhalations and 5 second exhalations

This can be performed for up to 10 minutes at a time

3. Hydration (drink plenty of water) - Water serves two basic functions, hydration and cleansing but it is also necessary for many of the bodily chemical reactions. Therefore it is crucial to keep yourself hydrated with good quality clean water.

You should drink your body weight in KG multiplied by 0.033 each day

(E.g. 60kg x 0.033 = 1.98 litres).

We live in a toxic world and unfortunately most municipal water supplies are of lower optimum quality. Filtering your tap water is a better option than not, you can also utilize mineral water although you have to consider the high use and waste of plastic bottles, as chemicals from bottles can effect you and the environment negatively. A full house system or a filter on your main tap is highly recommended. Whatever you choose make sure you choose clean water. Evian and Vittel are some of the best sources available on the market.

4. Nutrition - You are what you eat – LITERALLY! You turn over millions of cells everyday and they need nutrients to replace them. Each individual is unique in regards to their internal nutritional requirements just as they are unique on the outside of their bodies hence the old saying ‘One mans food is another mans poison’.

Metabolic typing helps to determine which foods provide the correct support for a person to achieve optimal balance in their body (homeostasis). If balance is not achieved this dramatically affects your biochemistry which can have negative effects on your physical, mental and emotional states and your ability to increase your immune function and ability to lose weight. For more information on finding out your metabolic type contact paul@bodyinaction.co.uk or call 07739841917

Some tips for optimal digestion:

Eat organic food where possible
Drink two glasses of water 15 minutes before eating
Chew your food until it is liquefied
Eat in a relaxing environment (watching the news or reading the paper will lead to improper digestion)
Drink just enough to wash your food down while eating. Drinking too much can dilute hydrochloric acid and weaken digestion

5. Movement - Regular movement is a critical component of health and wellbeing. It provides mobility and motility to the internal organs therefore helping with digestion, keeping joints and muscles healthy as well as aiding circulation and detoxification function. For a consultation to determine what level of exercise you should be undertaking contact paul@bodyinaction.co.uk

6. Sleep - Every living thing sleeps! It is vital for health; well being and we must get enough regular sleep to ensure we are at our optimal. Insufficient sleep can also lead to an increased production of the stress hormone cortisol which has been proven to be a factor in weight gain. When you sleep your body repairs, your tissues recover from the day’s tasks and it downloads information. This is a busy time and you need a full nights sleep to function optimally. 10pm to 2am are the key rest periods for physical repair and 2am to 6am is key for psychological repair time.

Some top tips for sleeping include: