Pillars of HEALTH
HEALTH: it’s one of the key words on the homepage of my website. Last month we talked about one of the other key words, balance and what that means physically, mentally, and emotionally. This month, we’re talking about what it means to be healthy…..and discussing my 5 pillars of health.
Last year, for a school project, my oldest who was in second grade at the time had to create a poster about what it means to be healthy. Of course, I had many thoughts and ideas as to what I would put on this poster, but I really wanted to see what he thought. I gave him a blank poster, some crayons, and told him to just be creative. What he created was amazing, but honestly, it’s what I would expect from a chiropractic kid. His poster had a beautiful circle in the middle of healthy fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, and oranges. Above the fruit was a perfect rendition of the dentist office. (He loves his dentist and is all about oral hygiene). Next to that was his depiction of the bunk bed he shares with his brother. This represented the importance of sleep. Below the healthy foods, he drew a track. It would appear that the amount of running I do has made an impression on him, and he considers physical activity to be important. (Although I’m pretty sure if he were to redo this poster now, it would have a giant soccer field instead of a track) Lastly, of course, he drew his rendition of a chiropractic adjustment. His accurate interpretation was a picture of me adjusting him while we both have giant smiles on our faces.
Now, if I were to draw a poster to represent what being healthy means to me, I think it would look very similar. In fact, I have 5 pillars of health that I like to go over with not only my patients, but I use it to check in with myself to make sure I’m staying healthy – that I’m practicing what I’m preaching.
***NUTRITION***EXERCISE***SLEEP***POSITIVE MINDSET***CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS***
· NUTRITION: Simply put, nutrition is providing your body with the food necessary for health and growth. Digging a little deeper, nutrition is not only what we eat, but what we absorb, assimilate, biosynthesize, catabolize, and excrete. You really are what you eat…..and drink. We can’t forget that we are supposed to be drinking half of our body weight (in ounces) of water every day as well.
· EXERCISE: My activity of choice is running, but I do love yoga, cycling, and lifting weights. Physical activity – small amounts every day – can impact not only your heart health, but your bone density and respiratory function as well.
· SLEEP: During rest at night is when our body does most of its healing. Our brain also needs enough rest to process the events of the day, prepare for the next day, and to form new neural pathways.
· POSITIVE MINDSET: Not only are we what we eat and drink, but we are also what we think. If we have a mindset of stinkin’ thinkin’, then we can be more susceptible to having depression, anxiety, and even more sickness and health related issues. Hence why one of my first blogs was about ‘Having and Attitude of Gratitude’. Simply writing down what you are grateful for each day can do wonders for your mindset.
· CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMETNS: Making sure that your nervous system is functioning properly is the goal of chiropractic care. Not only do I want you to feel better and experience less aches and pains, but I really want your whole body to function better.
One main aspect of these pillars, and a concept that ties them all together is TIME. When you set out to become healthier and make lasting changes that will impact your health, it takes time. It’s not an overnight success. And everyone’s journey to health is different. But if you don’t take the time to really take a deeper look at what your definition of health is, and define what your healthy pillars are, then there’s no room for change or improvement.
If you don’t invest in your health or the health of your family, no one else will. (That’s a quote straight from my mom 😊)
So if you were to create a poster about what it means to be healthy, what would it look like? What are your pillars of health?
Dr. Shannon