3 Habits to Live a Healthy Lifestyle
Have you ever given Dr. Google a visit? Or turned to social media for tips to live a healthier lifestyle? I’ll raise my hand to both.
Health and wellness has always been a very complex field. Now more than ever, with constant access to endless information right at your fingertips.
One healthcare provider is saying a ketogenic diet leads to optimal health, meanwhile your favourite influencer is promoting a vegan diet. And everyone knows exercising is beneficial but it’s challenging to fit into your busy schedule, let alone getting a full 8 hours of sleep- if that’s still what’s recommended.
It can easily become very overwhelming and challenging to sift out what’s wise versus what’s a waste.
This is typically why some people choose to simply go about their lives doing what they can when they can ‘hoping for the best.’
However, this approach hasn’t lead to ‘the best’ results- I mean, look at the average adult.
The Drug Epidemic
A study done by StatsCan found that from 2016-2019, “55% of adults aged 18 to 79 used at least one prescription medication, while 36% used two or more, and 24% used three or more.” (1)
Interestingly the majority of drugs prescribed are used to address symptoms and conditions that are chronic, which means it has been present for more than 3 months.
The 5 most prescribed medication types are listed, this information is based on Canadian data from 2021 shown in 1,000s (2).
#5 Blood thinner (5,906)
#4 Statin to lower cholesterol (5,771)
#3 Vitamin D supplement (5,918)
#2 Methadone for pain relief & eases opioid withdrawal (9,834)
#1 Hypothyroidism (20,075)
Interestingly, the largest difference is found between #1 and #2, which was more than doubled.
This should be highly concerning, however it does make sense. In recent years, the global pharmaceutical industry has experienced a massive increase. “In 2022, the total global pharmaceutical market was estimated at 1.48 trillion USD.” (3)
The good news… in some cases, lifestyle modifications can be put in place to help treat the root cause of the condition and avoid the side effects that often come along.
The Obesity Epidemic
Another report from 2015-2020 found that 29% of Canadian adults 18 years and older were obese and 36% were overweight (4). Meaning that over that 5 year period, 65% of the Canadian adult population were living an unhealthy lifestyle.
Keep in mind, this report was done pre-COVID, where many people experienced even greater challenges relating to their health and wellness both physically, mentally, and emotionally.
The Truth About Well-Being
Many people define health as the absence of sickness or disease, however true wellness is far more complex. It consists of all the various aspects of your life and your ability to maintain ease within them and yourself.
When I Googled “best tips to be healthy” an article by Healthline called, 27 Health and Nutrition Tips That Are Actually Evidence-Based showed up at the top of the list.
A quick summary of the recommendations they shared included limiting sugar and processed foods, and choosing nuts and seeds, fatty fish, fruits and veggies and herbs and spices. Along with getting enough sleep, moving the body, feeding the gut, socializing and at the very end meditating (6).
In my opinion, a decent list of general recommendations- except the 3-4 cups of coffee a day. However, I couldn’t help but notice that only 2 out of the 27 tips addressed the more subtle aspects to health and wellness- being socializing and meditation.
In today’s high-paced society, it can very easy to overlook and undervalue the implications because of their subtleties. We often think we have to do more to achieve the desired result, however Ayurveda believes the very opposite.
An Intro to Ayurveda
Ayurveda is an ancient healing system that originated in India over 5,000 years ago. But in reality it’s so much more than that. It’s a way of living that allows each individual person to truly know themselves so that they can live out their inner most purpose and desires. It addresses the body, mind and soul and provides a tailored approach to healing in order to increase the prevention of dis-ease.
Within Ayurveda there are 3 pillars of health, this blog written by a faculty member at the California College of Ayurveda called Ayurveda and The Three Pillars of Life: The Bedrock of Health outlines the main areas of focus.
The 3 pillars include proper management of digestion, sleep and sexual energy. They state that “eating, sleeping and procreating are essential to life, and when these three areas are in a healthful state of balance, the body and mind will reach its full potential of health and wellness” (7).
As an Ayurvedic Health Counsellor, I believe they provide a beautiful breakdown of the 3 pillars, with one small modification. Read the tips below to see what I recommend and encourage in order to live a full and vibrant life.
3 Habits to Live a Healthy Lifestyle
Digestion- complete and consistent digestion is crucial for overall health and wellness.
If the body is not able to breakdown and efficienly use what is consumed then it can result in what is called ama, which translates to “the abnormal or impaired process of digestion and metabolism that leads to build up of toxic by-products, which cannot be neutralized or eliminated by the body” (5). As ama accumulates it further impairs other bodily processes and can lead to potential dis-ease physically, mentally, emotionally, even spiritually.
Digestive herbs and spices can be helpful, but further than that proper food combinations and your environment (internal and external) plays a larger role. Stress- especially when chronic- has been found to negatively impact digestion.
And remember, the body has to digest everythign taken in from all 5 senses, so be mindful of the things you’re consuming on every level.
Sleep- regular and ritualized rest is essential for allowing the body to repair.
Have you every used the line, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead?” Well if you aren’t getting adequate quantity or quality of sleep that day may come sooner than you expect.
Very mportant physiological processes occur while you’re asleep and some only occur when you’re in deep sleep. This is why it’s one of the pillars, without sleep the body isn’t able to repair the damage that is caused by stress and eliminate it from the system, which leads to accumulation of ama (again).
Every-body is different. However living in tune with Nature is always a good idea, rise and rest with the Sun to maintain a healthy circadian rhythm which also helps to keep your hormones in check.
Energy management- less is more, with everything.
This is the one that differs for me, as I learned Ayurveda many sources shared this pillar only reffering to sexual indulgences. However, it applies to everything in life.
Food, sleep, sex, work, play, technology- everything.
Overindulgence can lead to deeper imbalances which is the first phase to all dis-eases.
Slow down, listen to your body, set boundaries- and honour them,- and be in silence for 5-10 minutes every day. This will allow your mind and body to remain in harmony in order maintain true wellness, it starts from within.
To summarize…
As we’ve already established, health is very complex and there are many aspects that need to be considered to determine that states of one’s health- it’s not simply the absence of sickness or disease.
When health is in order that allows an individual to truly live a life of wellness, a life full of passion, joy and energy.
These health habits are designed to support you on your journey to finding your true Self so that you can find true wellness.
That’s my prayer for you, that every person who reads this will be able to take away at least one piece of information that will get them closer to achieving their heart’s deepest desires.
We discussed 3 areas of focus that have been proven for thousands of years to achieve health and wellness, simply start with one. Once you have balance and ease in that area progress to the next. It doesn’t matter where you start, what’s most important is that you start. Your future depends on it.
References
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/210628/dq210628e-eng.htm
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1336225/top-dispensed-drugs-canada/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/263102/pharmaceutical-market-worldwide-revenue-since-2001/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/748339/share-of-canadians-overweight-or-obese-based-on-bmi/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/27-health-and-nutrition-tips
https://www.ayurvedacollege.com/blog/ayurveda-and-three-pillars-life-bedrock-health/
Kayla Hutchinson
Holistic Health Coach, B.Kin