The Six Pillars of Health
Maximal health is achieved via a complex myriad of variables, processes, habits, genetics and epigenetic factors, plus a little luck; all rolled into one body and mind.
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To list them all would fill up pages; but after years of study, experience and insight into what health really is, I forged my health coaching process upon six, foundational pillars and principles of health.
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They are the bedrock upon which health is built and provide the absolute best bang for your buck results when looking to make significant improvements in your own health journey.
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Rest assured that these are not the only variables taken into account when working with me. Be prepared to go deep into multiple avenues and tools we can use to help you. But be mindful that nothing, be it a building, the ability to learn a language or play an instrument, and certainly not your health, can be built upon poor or sloppy foundations. This is why the Six Pillars of Health listed below is what I believe to be the most influential areas to master when addressing any health concerns.
Sleep and Rest
There is no health condition on the planet that cannot be helped to one degree or another by improving sleep quality and restfulness,
Sleep is more than just a chance for our body to heal injuries.
You do the best amount of digestion and nutrient absorption during the night.
Your brain consolidates and stores memories and skills learnt.
Your body initiates autophagy (cellular repair) during the hours of sleep
The quality of your circadian rhythm *your sleep/wake cycle) governs a simply vast number of internal processes related to health. Your Pineal Gland in your brain controls your circadian rhythm and melatonin production which have significant impacts on antioxidant and aging effects in the body. It also helps modulate neurotransmitters related to mood and energy regulation.
Poor sleep habits can contribute to any disease or imbalance of health. This is why it is always the first and most foundational pillar of health.
Don’t worry if your sleep has been poor or affected for some time. There is so much that can be done to improve the quality of sleep and during the coaching process we will look meticulously into any and all factors that may be compromising your sleep quality.
Rest not associated to sleep is also a critical part of healing and wellbeing. Restful states are a chance for us to take control of our body and nervous system during our waking hours. It can take the form of naps, Non-Sleep-Deep-Relaxation (NSDR) time, meditation, yoga Nidra, breath work etc. There are many potential avenues to incorporate rest into our daily lives.
Nutrition and Nourishment
The quality of the food we eat and the water we drink has the power to effect every single cell in our body, for better or worse.
Food is such an emotive part of being human. It is the basis of so many shared experiences with family, friends or strangers. It can fill us with energy, joy and complete wellbeing. But it can also bog us down, entrap us and unfortunately feed states of ill health.
Nutrition choices may have contributed to your current health state or perhaps you need help adjusting your diet around it to help you reach your health goals.
Either way, we’ll spend as much time as we need to help you make adjustments to your nutrition that could have profound changes on your health, energy and vitality.
Mental Health and Brain Optimisation
At the centre of our being is our sense of identity and how we view ourself.
Your mental health is at the heart of my coaching. Checking in on you, what motivates or suppresses you, what nourishes or robs you of joy. These are all things that can dictate any progress towards health as your mind and body both live under the same roof. So to nurture one element of health, you must recognise and nurture all the other areas; your mental health being one of them.
Brain optimisation refers to us using neuroscience, nutrition biohacking and practices to help you reach levels of clear thinking, motivation, vitality and passion for life that may have been absent for a while. Combining both mental health and methods to boost cognitive power and clarity make for a powerful set of tools to arm us with on your journey towards optimal health and wellbeing.
Movement & Exercise
Regular, progressive exercise is the single most powerful thing you can do to avoid almost every age related illness. There is no diet, supplement or gadget that comes close. Studies have even shown that individuals with poor diets that regularly exercise have lower rates of age related diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain cancers than those who eat healthy but do zero exercise. This is an example of how balance is what matters and combining both nutrition and exercise makes for a double hit towards health.
Being a lifelong fanatic of exercise, exercise physiology and my background as a personal trainer gives me a unique set of tools alongside my more conventional based health knowledge to be someone who has the ability to help you not just in your health goals but in your exercise and physical performance goals.
Detoxification
The fifth and final pillar of help is one of the most underrated elements of health.
You can be incredibly healthy in all other areas, but if you are unable to fully detoxify from the modern world of chemicals, toxins and inputs that enhance toxicity, you can still have health issues that may be unexplained.
Detoxification is a plethora of processes, chemical reactions and the movement of toxins and end waste products from your body. We all rid toxins through our breath, sweat, urine and faeces and the ability to do this is governed by numerous processes and organs within us.
My coaching packages involve spending time explaining detoxification methods and ways to integrate them into your routines to aid with reaching your health goals.
Immune System Modulation
At the heart of all health is a fully functioning immune system. Whether you catch that cold or are able to fight off a mould or pathogenic infection is down to your immune health and functionality.
The same applies for optimal energy or hormonal balance. The interactions and relationships between ideal energy and immune function are intricately linked; which is why no health journey can be undertaken without addressing the needs and function of your own immune system.
A crucial part of my coaching is helping clients find ways to improve and regulate their immune system so that their health goals can be realised. It’s possible to improve your immune system by multiples. My coaching uses direct lifestyle alterations, sleep and rest utilisation, additional immune improving practices, supplements and peptides to give you the edge you need to have the immune system you deserve.