The Five Pillars of Health

Modern life is stressful, and that stress is affecting health. But to solve a problem, it first helps to know what that problem is. In our modern world, stress is a combination of emotional, environmental, nutritional, postural, and dental factors, some obvious, while others get little attention.

While problems in modern life seem to become more complex, the solutions are straightforward and simple. The key is to build physical, mental and emotional resilience. To that effect, it’s useful to focus on five pillars of health and wellness:

1. Sleep

Sleep is the most essential part of the day. It’s the foundation for any wellness journey. A consistently good night’s sleep is a function of quantity, getting enough sleep, and quality, breathing well while asleep. Getting both right improves every health measure, physical, mental and emotional. Getting these wrong could shorten life.

The vast majority (90%) of people need 7-9 hours sleep. People who sleep for only a few hours usually acknowledge they aren’t getting enough sleep. The most interesting are the people who consistently sleep 6 hours who share many things in common with people who are sleep deprived.

Poor sleep affects memory, with the chance of dementia increasing; insulin resistance increases, predisposing to prediabetes, diabetes and obesity; the hormone responsible for fat metabolism, leptin, is reduced, and the hormone responsible for hunger, ghrelin, increases.

This, in turn, often leads to poor sleepers eating more, increasing weight gain; sex hormone production diminishes, affecting sex life; the immune system is compromised; thyroid hormone, which helps regulate metabolism, is involved; chronic inflammation increases.

Quality is about breathing well while asleep. Snoring indicates a restricted airway, but there is another condition called obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), which means breathing stops or is restricted frequently throughout the night. In severe cases, it can be life-threatening.

A consistently good night’s sleep is the body’s built-in, life-support system.

2. Breathing

People give little thought to breathing, but there is a big difference between just breathing and breathing well. Breathing quality affects sleep quality, body chemistry and posture.

Breathing through the nose is ideal, warming, humidifying and filtering the air; nasal breathing also improves head posture. Breathing at 8-12 breaths per minute helps regulate body chemistry, affecting every system in the body, physical and mental; using the diaphragm utilises greater lung capacity and reduces strain on neck and shoulder muscles.

3. Nourish

To nourish well is to have a whole, fresh, diverse diet, free of sugar and artificial chemicals, with vegetables of many colours as the foundation.

Incorporate ethically raised pasture-fed animal products and healthy fats (e.g. from natural sources including avocados, olive oil, nuts, seeds, coconut oil, fatty fish, and grass-fed animal fats.

Avoid vegetable oils). Include filtered water and healthy salt (such as Himalayan rock salt or Celtic sea salt, which contains 50-70 minerals, as opposed to ordinary table salt, which only contains sodium and chloride). Minimise refined carbohydrates and sugar intake to keep insulin levels low. Explore the power of intermittent fasting, acknowledging that scarcity has always been part of our human journey.

4. Movement

Incorporating functional movements and weight-bearing exercise into daily life and standing while working, walking as a sustainable, safe, sociable and empowering activity for life. Moving regularly impacts positively impacts on every health indicator and treatment outcome. It’s surprising how little movement is needed to make a big difference.

5. Thought

While it is not always possible to change events or people around us, we can change our attitude toward them, and that can make a big difference, with the power of thoughts impacting how genes are expressed and how we respond to the stresses of life.  According to a 75-year study by the Harvard School of Public Health, relationships are the best predictor of longevity, health, and wellness, so value and nurture them. Expressing gratitude is accessible and positive for both the provider and the recipient. From practising mindfulness to exploring meditation, the power of the mind is profound.

The key is to build resilience while identifying and minimising the stresses of modern life to fulfil potential and be the best you can be.

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Dr Ron Ehrlich, a co-founder of the Sydney Holistic Dental Centre, is the author of A Life Less Stressed, the 5 Pillars of Health & Wellness, and delivers keynotes and wellness workshops. He has a weekly podcast, Unstress, with Dr Ron Ehrlich. Visit: www.drronehrlich.com

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