Trilogy

The 5 Basics of Optimal Health

Health is the result of the Quality, Quantity, and Frequency of our Food, Water, Rest, Exercise, and Owning our Power. Optimal health occurs when there is harmony among these constants and variables.

We can view any of the constants of health (Food, Water, Rest, Exercise, and Owning our Power) through the lens of each variable (Quality, Quantity, and Frequency).

Three simple questions point us to these basic variables of health: What kind? How much? How often?

Take, for example, the quality of our food – it is clear not all carrots are created equal. Putting aside the fact that there are many different species of carrots, the fertilizers and pesticides used to grow our food can have profound effects on the human body, such as altering the balance of our gut flora. How food is prepared changes its nutrient content. There are many heat-sensitive nutrients, like enzymes and water-soluble vitamins A, B and C, which begin to be destroyed at temperatures above a high fever.

Context also plays an important role in the quality of food. When we sit down to eat, do we chew our food thoroughly, savoring each bite, surrounded by loved ones in a peaceful setting, or do we rush through our meal, washing down un-chewed morsels with iced water and juggling other tasks like watching TV or sending an email before we sprint out the door? Being mindful and present while eating affects our ability to draw nutrients from our food.

Using this model of the 5 Basics of Optimal Health, we can get a clear understanding of our current situation and an idea of how to move toward wellness.


Guidelines for Optimizing your Food

  • Make most of your food raw, organic vegetables and fruits.
  • Make the rest of your food from sprouted nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, cooked vegetables and/or humanely-raised animal products (grass-fed/pastured/wild/game).
  • Eat until sated, not full.
  • Experiment with the frequency of your meals to find out how many per day works best for you.
  • Chew each mouthful of food thoroughly. It should resemble cake batter before you swallow.
  • Use all five senses to consume your food.
  • Limit drinking to no more than four ounces of liquid 15 minutes before and 30 minutes after meals.
  • Share meals with loved ones.
  • Consume probiotic-rich foods (like homemade fermented vegetables) daily.
  • Practice proper food combining. To simplify the concept:
    • Eat fruits by themselves on an empty stomach. Eat melons separately from all other foods.
    • Do not eat meats, nuts/seeds, legumes, grains and/or starches with each other. Only combine one of these food groups with non-starchy vegetables, like leafy greens or cauliflower, to make a meal.
  • Avoid processed, refined foods. Generally speaking, if it wasn't on Earth 200 years ago, if you’ve seen a commercial for it, if it comes in a box, it is probably no good for you.
  • Enjoy your food no matter what!


Guidelines for Optimizing your Water

  • Filter your water. Reverse osmosis is one of the best filtration methods commercially available, but even basic charcoal filters like Brita help remove toxins from drinking water. If you don't filter your water, YOU are the filter!
  • Drink at least half your body weight in ounces daily.
  • Sip often throughout the day -- the body can only absorb about four ounces of water every fifteen minutes.
  • Limit drinking to no more than four ounces of liquid 15 minutes before and 30 minutes after meals.
  • Start each day by drinking a full glass of water from your nightstand before your feet even hit the floor. Fill and drink another glass to kick start your digestive and eliminative systems.
  • Chew your water. This charges and regulates the temperature of the water to match your body, making it easier to absorb.
  • Add foods to your water for additional flavor and health benefits, including: fresh herbs, fresh fruit, liquid chlorophyll, honey, bee pollen, organic apple cider vinegar, Himalayan salt and chia seeds.


Guidelines for Optimizing your Rest

  • Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time each day.
  • Perform a nighttime ritual that begins about an hour before bedtime. The goal of this ritual is to slow down and get body, mind and spirit prepared to rest. Playing music, reading, stretching, writing, meditating or simple conversation are all great examples of nighttime rituals.
  • Sleep in total darkness in cool temperatures.
  • Aim for 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep daily. If you prefer to break your sleep into smaller chunks, don’t miss a single nap.
  • Avoid eating/drinking large amounts, staring at screens, or vigorous exercise (making love is an exception) for two hours prior to bedtime.
  • Take cold showers before bed to sleep more deeply.
  • Be intentional around your rest. Every night as you drift off to sleep make a declaration. For example: "I am resting and recovering."
  • Wake up gently -- take time to breathe fully, stretch your body and express gratitude for the gift of another day.

Guidelines for Optimizing your Exercise

  • Strive to achieve perfect form in all movement.
  • Create a plan aligned with your personal fitness goals and stick to it.
  • Vary the intensity and kind of training you do.
  • Get between 30 and 60 minutes of exercise daily, or, at the very least, break a sweat each day.
  • Listen to your body. Learn to distinguish between being uncomfortable and being in pain.
  • Use your body’s full range of motion often to become and remain limber.
  • Focus on developing coordination, timing, balance, sensitivity and relaxation to increase the efficiency of movement.
  • Identify weak links in the kinetic chains of your body (limited range of motion, pain, tension, etc.) and correct them through massage, stretching, and strengthening before integrating the weak area into complex whole-body movements.
  • Play! It doesn’t matter what kind of game as long as you move and have fun.


Guidelines for Owning your Power

  • Acknowledge all physical symptoms, mental and emotional stress as opportunities to learn, grow, heal and evolve so that you can be intentional, rather than reactionary, with your life.
  • Saying or thinking the words, “Infinite Love and Gratitude” is a shortcut to the above point.
    • Infinite: describes the nature of the universe - it always was, is and will be.
    • Love: the power that drives everything. Everything is love expressing itself the best way it knows how.
    • Gratitude: an attitude that enables us to relate to and move through life’s challenges as gifts.
  • Come from the heart. This is where your authentic self resides. In the midst of pain and/or stress, ask yourself “If it were possible to feel any way right now, how would my heart choose to feel?”
  • Regularly take the time to connect with your emotions by actively seeing, feeling, and hearing the emotions that arise within stressful experiences and relationships. Remember to use the first two points above.
  • Focus on where you wish to go rather than what you wish to avoid.
  • Consciously choose to embrace change.
  • Honor your word. Honor yourself. Honor your word as your self.
  • Be 100% responsible for everything that happens.
  • There is nothing inherently wrong with you or the world. There is nothing to fix.