Lordy, I haven't put pen to paper for a long time now, but as I’m known for taking a holistic approach to wellness in my practice of personal training and nutrition coaching, I thought I'd write about holism. We are used to a reductionist approach for the most part; we get referred to specialists for certain issues in our body, rather than addressing our body as a whole. We want to 'spot reduce' fat from our tummies, we live in an insular world, too busy to think about our neighbours or the next generation.
But what does holism mean exactly?
Well, if you are thinking about training and workouts, you’d exercise with the view that everything in your body is connected, every action has a reaction. If we’re talking health, realising that big and small choices and habits. have health implications. Looking at the world and life with a holistic approach makes you far more aware of how your actions affect your neighbour and the world around you.
Taking a reductionist approach means pushing through unnecessary pain during a workout, constantly going to bed late because ‘I’ll sleep when I’m dead’ and throwing litter on the ground.
But which are the best holistic approaches for all-round health and wellness? Here are mine!
1) Get sufficient sleep (for most people that’s around 8 hrs). More sleep equals less grumpiness, less cortisol, less unnecessary hunger (for the wrong foods), more energy and more concentration. HK wears it’s lack of sleep like a badge. Don’t be one of them.
2) Drink a couple of litres of water per day; get in the habit of sipping water. Your cells need water to do just about everything. More water equals more energy, less headaches, less unnecessary hunger.
3) Eat well and mindfully. Eat for nutrition rather than just filling yourself up. Which foods are best to put intoyourbody? Maximise your micronutrients and the macros will look after themselves. If you eat your emotions, seek help.
4)Move!It doesn’t matter if you are a gym bunny, sportsman or you prefer a book and the sofa. Your body was designed to move- get out and walk at least. If you don’t use it when you are young, you’ll regret it when you are old and bed or chair bound.
5) If you engage in any sport, casually or more competitively, master the primary human movement patterns; squats, lunges, hip hinges, push, pulls and carries, to maximise your performance and prevent injury. If you’re not sure- seek help from a fitness professional.
6)Don’t put up with pain in your body, try and find a solution beyond popping pain killers.
7) Buy less stuff, spend more time with family and friends, turn off phones and computers. Our world is ruled by how much we own and scrolling up. It just makes us unhappy in the long run.
8) Everyone has their own poop to deal with. People may seem to have a charmed or privileged life, but this is rarely so. Most people act badly for a reason. Find it in your heart to care to find out why.
9)Understand the environmental ramificationsof eating that steak or throwing away that plastic straw. Are you happy with it? Will your children be happy with it in 10 or 20 years time?
10)Smile and be kind :-))