There are 8 pillars of health that I believe are that are essential for whole-body healing. Being healthy has to do with so much more than food, and today you will learn why.
The Problem Today is People Forget that there are Pillars to Health
Often, people seem to get caught up in the notion that health is centered around food. The idea is that if a person cuts out processed food, does not eat added sugar, and eats only organic, then they will be completely healthy. This is what I believed, all throughout my late childhood and teen years.
This mindset is in part what threw me into years of struggle with an eating disorder.
When other pillars of health are forgotten, dogmatic approaches to nutrition can consume the mind to an unhealthy level.
The same goes for exercising- which I also struggled with during the same period as my eating disorders. Ignoring other pillars of health I under-ate and over-exercised. The struggles I faced in my earlier years led to several years of recovering in my early twenties- as my dogmatic (and incorrect) mindset towards “healthy eating” taxed and tore down my body in unhealthy ways.
The Cycle of Forgetting About the Other Pillars of Health
A lot of individuals get caught up in this cycle. I believe that this is often where Yo-Yo dieting (moving back and forth between diets and/or overall food choices) comes into play.
People will find THE ANSWER in a keto diet, and then slip up and eat cake.
Then they think, “well hey, I ate the cake, I might as well have some chips now…” and then spend the next week beating themselves up for the slip-up. Then they realize that keto is not the answer, but instead eating pro-metabolically is actually the right way to go.
Now, do not get me wrong, I am NOT knocking pro-metabolic eating. In fact, that is how I strive to eat, and it has been completely freeing for both my body and mind.
But, the trick in this lifestyle switch being freeing to my mind was that I did not just focus on eating foods to heal my metabolism. Instead, I focus on other pillars of health as well.
If I only looked at food, but did not look at any other tiers of health, I firmly believe that eating pro-metabolically may have helped me feel better for a time, but would have been left feeling sick again in the end.
This is because nutrition is only half of the battle. (Okay, maybe more like 70%).
However, if a person focuses solely on what they eat, and not on what is happening inside their mind, the body will hold on to stress and trauma.
An individual must look at other pillars of health for a whole-body perspective on healing.
I will use an analogy that also fits right into this topic: exercise.
If a person spends an hour at the gym lifting weights and running on the treadmill, but then stops on the way home to grab a milkshake, and then goes home to eat chips doused in queso, that workout will not do much in way of results.
In fact, the body will simply be extra stressed out because the body was put under stress through the workout, and now cannot process the food being put into itself in a healthy way.
This individual is completely disregarding all other pillars of health, and only focusing on movement.
With that analogy in mind, let’s look back at nutrition:
If a person is eating to support their metabolism, but does seven HITT workouts a week, uses that conventional makeup brand that all of their friends love, and stays up till midnight watching Netflix before waking up at 7 AM, their body will not be able to process the food correctly, because it is under too much stress.
Instead, minerals will continue to be depleted faster than they can be absorbed, much the same as exercising and then eating poorly.
So, to answer the question posed above, yes, being healthy is more than eating the correct food. Do not despair though, because it does not have to be as complicated as some people make it out to be.
Below I have laid it out simply through the 8 different pillars of health for total-body healing.
While I have included nutrition as one of the pillars of health, you will see that it is only one small piece.
Focusing on health holistically involves several different pillars of health. Below you will find my take on what different areas in lifestyle most influence the body’s ability to support its metabolism, manage stress, and thrive.
These are listed in no particular order. Please listen to your individual body in order to determine what should be prioritized first.
Keep in mind that while this is similar, this is not necessarily the same as the 8 Pillars of Wellness that is often discussed in the wellness community. While there is some overlap, this is my personal take on what constitutes full-body healing, based on my own personal observations, stores from the wellness community, and research studies that I have looked at in-depth.
Pillars of Health #1: Movement
Movement is a vital aspect to health. It can involve intense exercise sessions, bowstring yoga, or simply taking a walk in nature.
The level of movement needed for a person is strongly correlated with where they are in their healing journey. While levels of movement can differ, a common theme remains: Americans need to move far more than they do.
In fact, a lack of movement can be linked to various chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, etc. You can check out a very interesting study on these increases here.
While I would argue that several lifestyle factors together (such as lack of movement+poor nutrition+long term blue-light exposure) would lead to these increased risks, this study does reveal how vital movement is to overall health.
It makes sense, when one thinks about all that movement does to benefit the human body. Here are a few amazing benefits to movement:
Strengthens bones and muscles
Keeps the lymphatic system flowing
Keeps the body better aligned
Boosts the immune system
Helps the body to detoxify
Reduces stress levels and depression
Helps maintain healthy weight
Improves cognitive function
Promotes better rest/sleep
Think about it… If you are eating healthy but not incorporating daily movement, your body cannot detoxify itself of additional stressors.
This is just one example, but it shows how vital movement is to health. Again, movement does not have to mean that you weight train 4 days a week (although when your body is in a safe place on its healing journey, this is highly recommended!!)
If you are just beginning in your healing journey, start with trying to go for two 30 minute walks, twice a day, or get 60 minutes of movement in some other way.
Pillars of Health #2: Rest/Sleep
Poor quality sleep means that the body cannot go through its regular processes that are necessary for healthy bodily functions. Processes at the cellular level become disrupted. Sleep is absolutely key to health. If you were to begin by prioritizing anything in your health journey, I would recommend prioritizing sleep.
This is because sleep:
Regulates hormones
Regulates appetite
Regulates digestion
Regulates metabolic function
Regulates stress levels
Regulates sexual function
Repairs muscles and tissues (Yet another example of the importance of total body health! If you exercise, but do not get adequate amounts of sleep, your body cannot repair itself in the way that it needs to)
Forms pathways in the brain to improve learning and memory capabilities
Processes emotions
Supports immune system
Pillars of Health #3: Nutrition
I could talk all day about the importance of nutrition in health, but today we are focusing on how it is not the only aspect of health that matters. So I will keep it simple today.
Good food is to the body what diesel is to a truck. Putting regular gasoline in a diesel truck would inhibit many functions and wear it down. Putting nothing in the truck will completely inhibit its ability to run.
Good food provides the vitamins and minerals that the body requires for all of its cellular functions.
Without good nutrition practices, the body slowly wears down as its cellular functions and systems are inhibited.
Pillars of Health #4: Environment
The environment can play a huge role in the health of an individual. While it is difficult to control the air outside- and its potential to be filled with toxins- we can control the air quality within our home.
Water is the same. Filtering water can play a big role in shifting an individual’s health journey for the better.
Removing toxins from personal beauty products takes away many different endocrine disruptors which inhibits the body’s ability to heal.
Pillars of Health #5: Balance (Physical and Emotional)
Balance is both physical and mental. There has to be internal balance within the human mind in order to reduce major stressors on the body.
Finding balance in schedules can be huge in this.
Finding balance in food can be huge as well. This goes back to the idea of being so focused on food for health, that it puts the mind in a prison. Finding balance in food leads to freedom.
Balance is also physical. Being aligned and having the proper posture allows the body’s systems to properly communicate, leading to improved functions all throughout the body.
Pillars of Health #6: Mindfulness
In today’s society, it can be very difficult to come to a state of rest, yet it is absolutely vital to finding healing and health throughout all systems of the body.
Training the brain to be still (practicing mindfulness) can go a long way in allowing the body to reach a state of homeostasis, where the body functions properly at the cellular level.
Pillars of Health #7: Connection
I am talking about human connection. When we are not connected to other people, our brains go into a state of self-preservation that leads to spiked cortisol levels.
Being disconnected from other humans literally attacks the body at a cellular level due to how stressed the body is in its state of fight-or-flight preservation.
Because of this, I would argue that prioritizing relationships is key to health.
Stable relationships make the mind lighter, and allow the body to go into a state of rest instead of preservation. Being in a state of preservation means that the body feels unsafe. When the body feels that it is unsafe, it stops basic functions that are vital to a flourishing body.
Pillars of Health #8: Spiritual
I am taking this point of health from a Christian point of view, but I would like to note that if you are reading this, you are absolutely welcome no matter what you believe. My number one mission is to provide the tools that you need to get started on your healing journey.
I mention this factor of health because it is what brings me purpose, it gives me my why. Being spiritually healthy to me means that I am in tune with my relationship with Jesus and who I am in him. It is what drives me to wake up every morning with the burning desire to serve you wherever you are at. It is what gives me the passion for health, it is my deepest inspiration.
So, for your spiritual pillar of health, I would recommend that you simply ask, “What is my purpose? Why do I want to go on this health journey, and where to I want it to lead?”
Having your why and your purpose will drive so many of your decisions as you tackle each one of the 8 pillars I listed above. You’ve got this!
Summary of the Pillars of Health
Understanding that there are several different pillars of health, and not just exercising or eating correctly, can be life-changing. It can bring so much freedom to the table as you being to understand that being healthy does not involve being stuck in a mental prison where diet culture is your captor.
Take a look at the 8 different pillars of health listed above and ask yourself, where do I want to begin on my journey. And then tell someone that this is where you will start. Tell a friend, or contact me and let me know how I can support you.
Your first step is to take action. I believe in you. You have the power to be wisely rooted in the innate wisdom of your mind, body, and soul. It is up to you to begin seeking it out.
