Have you spent years trying to improve your health? Have you tried all of the latest fad diets and exercise programs to date? Do you have a cupboard full of expired supplements that cost hundreds of dollars, only to find they didn’t provide the miracle cure they claimed?
In our digital world of information overload, it’s easy to over complicate simple things. We tend to get caught up in the newest products that quote isolated research studies and have fancy marketing tactics. All the while, what we really need to focus on are the basics!
Even the most expensive workout program, the cleanest diet, and the fanciest supplements will never work if you are neglecting the foundational practices of health. It’s time for you, and everyone else, to go back to the basics and keep things simple.
You can try all of the most expensive potions, lotions, and programs, but if you are not practicing the following 6 foundations of health on a daily basis, it is very unlikely that you will ever succeed in improving your long-term health. Not only are these 6 foundational practices the basis of long-term health, they are also completely FREE!
Eat Real, Whole Foods Including a Wide Variety of Vegetables
Minimize packaged and processed foods in your diet as much as possible. If you “don’t like vegetables,” then you need to find a way to like them or you need to find ways to sneak a lot of them into your diet in any way possible. There is absolutely NO getting around this. If you want to be healthy, a large part of your diet must consist of vegetables.
Get Your Body Moving on a Daily Basis
We as humans were not meant to sit in a chair for several hours per day. We were meant to move. I understand that many people are required to sit for several hours per day for their jobs, but it is necessary that you find a way to get at least 7,000 steps per day.
If you are unable to walk that much due to physical inability, you need to find another way to move your body such as on a bike, an elliptical, or an upper body ergometer.
Sleep for at Least 7 Hours Per Night
Adequate sleep is critical for our health. Nothing can replace sleep. Sleep provides our body and our organs (including our brain) with an opportunity to detoxify, regenerate, and self-clean. While some people can get away with 7 hours per night, many people require upwards of 9 hours of sleep per night for good health.
Fast for at Least 12 Hours Overnight, Every Night
In other words, do not consume any calories for a 12-hour period overnight. For example, if you finish dinner at 7pm, do not consume any food (except water or herbal tea) until at least 7am the next morning. Our bodies are not meant to have 24/7 access to food.
Fasting is an extremely powerful practice that allows for regeneration and is vital for our cellular health and metabolism. While some people may benefit from longer fasts, longer is not always better. However, almost everyone will benefit from fasting for 12 hours overnight, every night.
Manage Stress by Practicing Proper Breathing
Stress has the ability to negatively affect every single aspect of our health. Although we cannot avoid stress, we can certainly learn to manage our response to it. The absolute best and quickest way to decrease the negative effects of stress is to practice proper breathing.
Breathing correctly and strategically is extremely powerful for pulling our nervous system out of a stress-based state and into a more relaxed state that allows for health and healing. There are tons of videos on YouTube about diaphragmatic breathing and meditation – check them out.
Embrace a Positive Attitude
Better health cannot be achieved if you don’t believe that you are capable of achieving it. Our physiology is intricately connected to our thoughts and our feelings. It may sound cliché, but the first step to getting well is believing that you can. Do not underestimate the power of your mind.
Do whatever you can to surround yourself with positivity in your life – this may include changing what you watch, what you listen to, what you read, and who you surround yourself with. Limiting negativity will help you to decrease your stress level at the same time!
These 6 foundational practices may sound simple and obvious, but ask yourself this: are you ACTUALLY doing these 6 things? And are you doing them at least 6 days out of 7?
Be honest with yourself. If you are having trouble establishing these 6 foundational practices in your life, I suggest finding an accountability partner or joining a coaching program such as my 12 Weeks to Well program.
Whatever you decide to do, taking control of your health is in your own hands. So, commit to these 6 foundational practices and enjoy a healthy life!
Do you practice these 6 foundational rules of health? Which of these 6 rules do you find hardest to follow? Which of these practices has made the biggest difference in the trajectory of your health? Do you have someone in your life who helps to hold you accountable to your health goals?
