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It’s Wellness Wednesdays! Let’s talk about how to develop a wellness program in your life. It’s important for all of us to take responsibility for our health and overall wellness in life. If you want to improve how you feel, how you look, or any other component in your life, developing a wellness program is the way to do it!
Evaluating Your Life
There are several core areas in your life that you should review when developing your wellness program. All of these areas are important, yet some of them are often ignored because of our busy schedules. These core areas include the following:
- Diet
- Exercise
- Thoughts
- Leisure Time
- Feelings
In order to create a program that ensures your wellness, it’s vital to include all of these areas in your plan. This is because, ultimately, all of these key areas have a place in how we feel both physically and psychologically.
Elements of a Wellness Plan
A program that focuses on how “well” you are, should always start with a diet that includes healthy foods. These include nutritionally sound“ foods that are cultivated organically so that you reduce the amount of toxins that enter your body.
You should focus on consuming fresh plant foods like fruits and vegetables “ rather than the prepackaged foods in the store. Eating nuts and drinking lots of water can also be especially helpful.
- Check out your local health food store or farmer’s market for the freshest produce. Some farms even offer co-op memberships in exchange for doing work on the farm.
Exercise is another important element of success when it comes to developing a wellness program. Not only does exercise help you lose or maintain your weight, but it also increases the amount of available oxygen throughout your body.
The cells, muscles, bones, and other components of the body are heavily dependent upon oxygen and the body’s ability to properly circulate the blood. A healthy, oxygenated body will have more energy, which will make you more productive and generally happier.
- Exercising doesn’t mean spending lots of money on a gym membership. Walk around your block, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or walk through a nearby mall and you’ll see the benefits.
- Invest in a workout DVD to use in the privacy of your own home and make a commitment to use it four times a week.
The next part of a wellness program is to ensure that your thoughts and feelings are positive and complimentary to your life. Having a support group or someone to talk to about issues that concern you can be very productive.
In addition, learning how to manage stress can be extremely beneficial to your wellness mission. If certain people or places cause you to experience stress, depression, or other negative feelings, then it’s important to pull yourself away from them or find a productive means for coping with them.
Remember, you must focus on both the physical and the psychological aspects of who you are in order to be “well.” By following these techniques to develop your own wellness program, you’ll enhance your life well into the future!
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I really wanted to talk about this topic today because your natural health and wellness is important. You can adopt healthy lifestyle practices that improve your health and enrich your life, which can in turn improve the lives of those close to you. You have the power to break the cycle of poor health, including chronic disease, so that you can leave a legacy of health to your loved ones.
I use functional medicine and lifestyle medicine as the first line of treatment, before medications, to treat lifestyle-related chronic diseases. Lifestyle-related chronic diseases include diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and some cancers, just to name a few. Lifestyle practices, such as eating a whole-food plant-based diet and regular physical activity, can help you lose weight, and maybe reverse some chronic diseases (if you suffer from them). In certain cases, these approaches may even outperform pharmaceutical therapy. But I always tell my patients that conventional medications may be appropriate at this time to prevent catastrophic illness, but over time, you can work to make the necessary lifestyle changes to possibly reduce and/or eliminate medications. Please remember to always consult your physician for your particular needs and circumstances prior to making any decisions whatsoever.
Is Dietary Supplementation Right For You?
For some people, vitamin and mineral supplements offer important health benefits. Supplements are designed to fight deficiencies found in our diet and complement the food we eat regularly. Supplements are basically “helping hands” to our daily food.
If you suspect that you aren’t getting the nutrients you need, consider shifting your focus from supplements to eating better.
But it is very important to note that we are not eating the same foods we ate years ago because the soils have been depleted of critical nutrients through current industrial farming practices. And because the soil is not as good as it used to be, the food supply (grown from the depleted soil) is not as good as it used to be. For example, you are not getting the same levels of magnesium as you would have gotten 30 or even 50 years ago.
Second, much of the food has been genetically altered, which can impact the inherent and unique nutritional composition that each food possess. For example, ancient einkorn wheat has less gluten, more protein, more Vitamin A, and more beta carotene, than modern genetically modified wheat.
Third, the toxic load in the environment today is much higher than 100 years ago. We can see this with global warming, toxic landfills, polluted oceans and waterways, etc. Toxicity levels interfere with nutrient assimilation and absorption not just into the foods, but into our bodies as well.
So… if you are unable to eat better, the supplements in my MaxHealth Total Wellness Bundle may provide the extra boost you need.
These are my favorite Wellness and Immune-Boosting Supplements to use! This MaxHealth Total Wellness Bundle will ensure you have the intake of the important vitamins, minerals, and probiotics to decrease inflammation and boost your innate wellness day and night. Taken together, it’s a solid plan for increasing your body’s natural resiliency.
For best results make sure you use the supplements with dietary changes including a whole food plant-based diet, regular exercise (at least 2-3x per week), regular sleep (8 hours per night), and intermittent fasting (at least 1-3x per week).
Weight Monitoring
Since weight management is very important in combatting chronic diseases, I recommend that you be mindful of your weight and its fluctuations, and that you monitor your weight AT LEAST on a weekly basis. I recommend a scale that includes a body composition monitor (*this scale cannot be used with a pacemaker or other implanted devices).
Physical Activity
Physical activity (or exercise) can improve your health and reduce the risk of developing several chronic diseases like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, just to name a few. Physical activity can improve your mood, boost your immune system, and even help you maintain a healthy weight.
I often recommend yoga and resistance training for physical activity, but as you are aware, there are plenty of forms of “movement” that you can do! But for the basics, especially if you’re just getting started, yoga and resistance training are where I would start.
Yoga
Yoga can be a great way to improve your strength and flexibility, manage your stress, improve your heart health, and lose weight! I recommend using a grounded yoga mat to connect yourself with the earth and reduce inflammation.
Resistance Training
Resistance training is the mainstay for overall health. It not only has beneficial effects on reducing body fat, it also increases muscle size and strength. Check out some basic dumbbells/free weights that I recommend to everyone.
Another alternative for dumbbells/free weights are resistance bands. They are great for physical therapy, yoga, strength training, and excellent for traveling.
Remember, living a healthy lifestyle including eating a whole foods plant-based diet, regular physical activity, and reducing stress are the best ways to maintain a healthy weight. Let me know what you think in the comment section below.
Dr. Nicolle Martin
Dr. Nicolle is double board-certified in Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine. As one of the nation’s most acclaimed primary care and public health physicians, she is a nationally recognized author, speaker, researcher, consultant and media personality. She is the Founder and Chief Medical Advisor of DrNicolleMD.com, where she discusses actionable ideas and real-world strategies to help people take control of their health using integrative therapies and lifestyle change.
Dr. Nicolle also shares her knowledge via her popular social media accounts “Maximize Health” to help people pursue a healthier life. Her motto is simple: Minimize Medications, Maximize Health. With her credentials and warm “bedside manner,” it’s no wonder that the doctor is renowned as “America’s Favorite Family Physician.”
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