Necessary Components to Great Health

We are trained to believe that when it comes to optimal health, visiting the doctor for regular appointments are ways to prevent illness and even premature death. A lot of times these visits reinforce zero habit change in the kitchen, our general lifestyle or at the gym. We know by experience that those protocols are not good enough at preventing illness because heart disease is the number one killer by far! We need to continue to take action. Being physically active most days of the week for at least 30 minutes has been shown to reduce all-cause mortality by 33% (Foreman, 2020). There is much more to being healthy and preventing disease than what certain measures at your annual physical can tell you, but it’s not just exercise that we can improve upon either.

Let’s look at a list of important components to consider for our longevity based on years of research.

Optimal Health Prescriptions

Optimal health prescription #1: Sunlight/outdoor movement

Research suggests that just 15-20 minutes per day of sunlight is optimal for protecting against many tumors, hypertension, type 1 diabetes and even multiple sclerosis. In addition, 80% of our vitamin D can be produced by the UVB exposure (Razzaque, 2018). If you have a busy schedule, work in your family time and exercise by spending time outside. This way you can get multiple benefits within a short amount of time. A few other important things to note about vitamin D deficiency is how much it affects our quality of sleep/sleep duration and loss of bone density which leads to osteoporosis (Dinicolantonio et al., 2021).

Optimal health prescription #2: Proper nasal breathing and breath work as much as possible

Most people would recognize the book about how to properly utilize our breathing for overall health written by James Nestor called, Breathe. The research noted by this author span over many years and the benefits are many and range from performance to even preventing alzheimer’s disease. Try this breathing activity when you are stressed or after a workout: Inhale slowly through your nose for :04, hold your breath for :07 and then exhale slowly for :08 (Nestor, 2020).

Nasal breathing practices from James Nestor’s research:

1. Nose blocked? Exhale slowly through your nose, hold your breathe until there is a strong urge to breath. Block one nasal cavity with your nose while breathing normal for 1 minute. Repeat the cycle on the other nose after a breathe then repeat for 6 cycles. This can be great for those who are stuffed before going to bed- maybe look at how late you are eating and what types of foods may trigger this also (Nestor, 2020).
2. Stressed/Anxious? Try a boxed breathing method (:04 in, :04 hold, :04 exhale, :04 hold) or simply take a deep breathe in for a :04 count while exhaling slowly for :08. If you have a serious medical condition or high blood pressure, be careful on the intensity for which you participate in these exercises (Nestor, 2020).
3. Performance? Try a controlled nasal inhale then a controlled nasal exhale followed by a burst of activity for :15. This is done for 2x/week over 4 weeks which greatly delays lactic acid fatigue (improve your lactate threshold in the long run). The idea behind an inhale and hold is that it helps build up oxygen in the blood while the exhale and hold disturbs the blood acid/base balance. The latter is great for training phases to build up resistance while the former can be great for the day-of competition (Nestor, 2020).

Breathing Test- Count how many breaths you take in one minute. Shoot for no more that 5. Performing this exercise can reinforce if we are experiencing stress/anxiety which can effect our health. Too much labored breathing can trigger stress and vice versa.

Optimal health prescription #3: Sleep

Are you waking up fully rested? If not, then your lifestyle may need some adjustments. Regular physical activity, especially cardiovascular activity has been shown to reduce stress which impacts our circadian rhythm (Foreman, 2020). Aim for enough sleep where you can wake in the morning without an alarm. Another activity that affects sleep that we learned earlier is getting enough sun exposure- Vitamin D.

Optimal health prescription #4: Following a micronutrient plan

1. Fat Soluble Vitamins- A, D, E & K. These vitamins are associated with vision maintenance, immune function, body/hair growth and reproductive function. A few examples include dairy, beef liver, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, carrots, kale and spinach to name a few (Dinicolantonio et al., 2021).
2. Water Soluble Vitamins- Vitamin C and B-Vitamins (energy production/release, build proteins, make collagen). Food sources include chicken, poultry, fish, mushrooms, potatoes, broccoli, avocados, watermelon, and dairy. Low on energy? Be sure to include some of these foods daily (Dinicolantonio et al., 2021). There are a few other food sources in nature, but these foods listed above are the easiest to find and most recognizable.
3. Minerals- The most important include: salt, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, and zinc. Much of these minerals are tied to energy levels, healthy bones and proper thyroid function. Salt, Magnesium and potassium are especially important for individuals because of the importance of electrolyte balance and performance. For best results when it comes to performance, consume Himalayan sea salt with your meals in addition to organic Pedialyte because of the high demands of exercise (Dinicolantonio et al., 2021).

Try the Vivoo urine strips to find out what your body is needing when it comes to salt levels, hydration, protein levels, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, oxidative stress, nitrites, etc. This can be a quick way (results within 2 minutes on your phone through the app) to get feedback without going to the doctor.

Optimal health prescription #5: Strength, conditioning & multiple movement plan

Research has been shown for many years that exercise benefits a multitude of ailments including: high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, gallstones, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, some cancers, cognitive dysfunction, dementia, osteoarthritis, low back pain, frailty decreased functional independence, constipation, muscle weakness, chronic inflammation, depression and less healthy levels of triglycerides (Foreman, 2020).

Let’s dive into some recommendations in each important category of our movement profile.

1. Strength training- At least 2 days per week of multi-joint exercises (squat, deadlift, row, etc.) for 3-5 sets of 6-12 reps
2. Conditioning- Perform 5-7 days per week of moderate intensity (65-80% MHR) for 30-45 minutes
3. Balance & Coordination- Daily for 2-3 minutes
4. Agility- 2 days per week with conditioning or strength training
5. Vision Drills- Daily drills for 2-3 minutes
6. Mobility- 2-3 times daily in areas of most concern (perform an assessment)

To recap, If you work on each of these components then your health will be superior! We cannot just expect 6-pack abs if we aren’t creating habit change in all phases of our health. Move well, sleep well, breathe well, eat well and live well by spending time absorbing positive media/thoughts most of the time.

References:

Dinicolantonio, J., Land, S., & Kennedy, T. (2021). Win: Achieve peak athletic performance, optimize recovery and become a champion. Independently Published.

Foreman, J. (2020). Exercise is Medicine: How physical activity boosts health and slows aging. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Nestor, J. (2020). Breath: The new science of a lost art. New York, NY:Riverhead Books.

Razzaque, M. S. (2018). Sunlight Exposure: Do health benefits outweigh harm? The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,175, 44-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsbmb.2016.09.004