There’s no denying the great power of nutrition. I believe wholeheartedly in the power of food to both heal and conversely, to harm. Most wellness journeys begin with some sort of dietary shifts and this is a great thing! But health is built through lifestyle, not just diet, and nourishment comes in many forms. In order to look at health holistically and make bigger shifts for your health and life, there are some other key areas that need to be addressed. I believe that health and healing begin on the plate, but don’t end there.
True wellness is a place of empowerment, where we own our power to make decisions that serve our body, mind and spirit. To live into our calling and have the impact we want in the world, we need to identify and stay connected to the many other things that sustain us, influence our health, inspire growth and bring meaning to our life.
There are 6 main areas that I consider fundamental to health and where I concentrate my coaching with clients. Let’s call them essentials of wellness.
These 6 areas are:
Nourished Body
Peaceful Mind
Mindful Movement
Restorative Rest
Authentic Connection
Purposeful Living
Each of these areas offers key insights into your health and wellbeing. If one area is significantly out of balance it’s difficult to experience truly vibrant health. But we also must recognize that none of us can be perfect in all of these areas all of the time. It’s not about perfection, but seeking to make progress in each of these areas.
How can you make even one small tweak in one of these areas to begin to make a shift? View each of these areas with self-compassion and see which areas speak to you and call you to experiment. Just being aware of these areas will often pull you to make certain shifts naturally.
There are lots of subcategories within these larger categories that are potential areas of focus, but even this doesn’t come close to being an exhaustive list. And please note I said potential areas of focus. This is not meant to be some big list of to-do’s that everyone needs to attend to all at once and not all of them apply to every single person. There is no one size fits all approach. We all have different needs in each of these areas.
So let’s take a closer look.
Nourished Body
- Optimize nutrition. Food is information for your cells, not just calories.
- Anti-inflammatory, whole foods diet
- Low glycemic diet for blood sugar balance
- Nutrient density- eating the rainbow
- Hydration- drink at least ½ your body weight in ounces of water daily.
- Optimize gut health (fermented foods, bone broth, probiotic supplementation (if needed) and a diverse diet)
- Optimize detoxification: Reduce the toxic load on your body by using chemical free body care and cleaning products and choosing organic foods as often as possible.
- Identify food sensitivities- Elimination diet or food sensitivity testing
Peaceful Mind
- Identify & quiet the noise
- Explore limiting beliefs.
- Develop a growth, rather than a fixed mindset.
- Self care: Create space in your life to truly care for yourself. Overcommitments, mismanaged time and distraction can all lead us away from the self care we need.
- Reduce/Manage Stressors
- Mindfulness: Meditation, Prayer, Gratitude Practice, Journaling, Breathwork
- Overcome self-sabotage
- Morning and Evening Rituals for mental clarity during the day and a relaxed mind at night
- Time in Nature
- Digital Detox
- Restorative Exercise/Mind-Body Exercise: Yoga/Pilates
Mindful Movement
- Exercise as a celebration of what your body can do, not a punishment or obligation
- Choose exercise you love. It can be anything, but it should bring you joy and make your spirit come alive. It should make you feel amazing, not in pain and suffering.
- Incorporate movement into your day wherever possible, it all counts!
- Experiment with different types of movement to maintain variety.
Restorative Rest
- 7-8 hours sleep
- Sleep hygiene: optimize sleep environment (cool temperature, complete darkness, device-free)
- Evening Rituals: Epsom Salt Baths, Reading, Journaling, Lavender Essential Oil, Herbal teas
- Hormone Balancing
Authentic Connection-Relationships/Social Life/Community
- We were created to live in community. Surround yourself with people who support you in your goals, love and encourage you.
- Intimacy-Seek depth in your relationships.
- Serve others, get outside of yourself.
- Distance yourself from toxic relationships.
Purposeful Living
- Living in complete alignment with your values
- Passion & Purpose
- Personal Fulfillment/Growth
- Spiritual Growth
- Creativity
- Career
- Finances
- Developing a dream and vision for your life and taking action
Everything is interconnected. By taking a functional and holistic look at your life, understanding your unique body, specific health conditions and life circumstances and taking small steps to support yourself in these different areas, you can begin to heal, function and thrive. Get curious about your life and do some reflection. Then take action! Embarque on your unique journey to wellness and healing. If you need a guide, contact me to schedule a free discovery session. I’d love to have a conversation with you about your health!
Which of the “essentials” resonate the most with you? Let me know in the comments!
