5 Pillars of Health: Part I
by Serkan Yimsel, CHEK Exercise Coach, NCEP Exercise Therapist

However, according to statistics, for 85% of all musculo-skeletal problems, practitioners and/or therapists cannot identify the source of the particular problem.¹ In other words, where a person hurts is commonly NOT the cause of the problem. This is because nutritional, environmental and lifestyle factors can create an accumulation of load on our bodily systems. When one bodily system reaches its maximal stress potential due to chronic overload, it can dump all that stress to other bodily systems to distribute the stress load. This is actually a good thing--if our bodies did not displace the stress load to other systems, our organs would wear out and expire much sooner. But, if trainers/practitioners don't take the time to evaluate all the possibilities, including simple lifestyle habits, the real source of the problems might never be addressed.

In this 2-part article, we will learn how simple lifestyle modifications can keep us out of doctors' offices and lead us to ultimate health and vitality. In the first part of this series, we will look into the pillars of breathing, hydration, and nutrition. The second part will address sleeping and movement.

I. HEALTHY BREATHING

The purpose of breathing is not just to move air, but also to move life-sustaining energy. It is the primary reaction in which energy takes a physical form to support our cells, tissues and organs. A continual supply of oxygen is crucial for these structures because our bodies cannot store more than a few minutes of oxygen. We will breathe approximately 26,000 times a day; therefore, each and every one of those breaths should be efficient enough to improve the oxygen saturation of our blood, boost vitality and increase the ability of the body to detoxify.

Kenneth S. Cohen, the author of the book The Way of Qigong states that "The act of observing the breath, changes the breath. Body awareness causes a shift of energy and intent away from the daily hassles and worries toward the needs of the body".² This is why the first and the foremost important step towards healthy breathing is to start paying attention to our breathing patterns without any attempt to change it.

There are 4 important aspects of natural/healthy breathing:

1. Healthy breathing should not interfere with nature's work. We should not control the breath, or attempt to prolong any of the 4 breathing stages: a) inhalation, b) turning off the breath, c) exhalation and d) the natural pause that occurs between exhalation and the next inhalation.

2. Healthy respiration demands more from abdominal muscles (such as diaphragm, pelvic floor, etc.) versus unhealthy breathing, which demands more from chest and neck musculature. (Please note that poor posture/prolonged desk jobs reduce the efficiency of diaphragm breathing). The most efficient breath is when both the lower abdomen and the lower back expand with inhalation and both retract with exhalation. The chest should only move during the last third of a full inhalation.

3. Breathing through the nose instead of the mouth is generally recommended by most Eastern practitioners and healers because of the filtering and humidifying capabilities of the nose.

4. A healthy breath is also a slower and deeper breath. The average adult resting respiratory rate is about 16 breaths per minute. Yet someone mentally and physically relaxed should be able to breathe at about 5 breaths per minute. Kenneth S. Cohen suggests, "This doesn't mean that you should breathe this slowly if you are reading an exciting novel or cooling down after a workout. Rather, the breath can slow down to 5 bpm when your body is completely still, the mind quiet and untroubled, the environment and temperature comfortable, and the clothing loose (especially around the waist)."

II. HEALTHY HYDRATION

Proper hydration is extremely important for our overall health. Since our bodies are composed of 75% water, the only liquid that will truly hydrate us is the clean pure water. As Doctor F. Batmanghelidj states³:

"Every function of the body is monitored and pegged to the efficient flow of water. 'Water distribution' is the only way of making sure that not only an adequate amount of water, but its transported elements (hormones, chemical messengers and nutrients) first reach the more vital organs. In turn, every organ that produces a substance to be made available to the rest of the body will only monitor its own rate and standards of production and release into the 'flowing water,' according to constantly changing quotas set by the brain. Once the water itself reaches the 'drier' areas, it also exercises its many other most vital and missing physical and chemical regulatory actions."

For healthy hydration, Doctor Batmanghelidj recommends us to determine our body weight in pounds, divide it by two and at least drink that many ounces of water each day. (If we are exercising in a hot climate, we should probably drink even more.)

As C.H.E.K Practitioners, we advise you to drink the top quality brands of water which have been sold for long time. Artesian waters usually flow to the surface naturally and are therefore more superior to the other brands. Make sure to store plastic water bottles in a cool/dark place to prevent harmful chemicals from leaching into drinking water. Also it is very important to decrease and eventually stop drinking dehydrating agents such as coffee, sodas and pasteurized juices.

III. HEALTHY NUTRITION

The "No-Diet" Diet

Julia Ross, states in her book, The Diet Cure, that in 1964 only 15% of adults were dieting. By 1992, 70% of women, 50% of men and 80% of seventh grade girls were dieters.⁴ There are currently about 2,000 diet books available to the public, each claiming miraculous results. If these work, then why is obesity still an epidemic?

Today, the average caloric recommendation by doctors or nutritionists is around 1000 calories a day. Yet the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) standards indicate that 2,500 calories is the minimum amount of calories an adolescent or adult woman needs to get the minimum amounts of life-sustaining nutrients such as iron. Men need at least 2,800 calories a day; their greater muscle mass and higher testosterone levels give them a naturally higher metabolism than women. So, can someone explain to us why serving sizes of most packaged foods are based on a mysterious "2000" calories?

Diets don't work in the long run because they disrupt the enzymatic and hormonal balance in our bodies. Whenever we restrict calories or skip a meal, the liver releases its stored glycogen to raise our blood sugar. As this continues, blood sugar goes between high and low; this causes muscle and fat cells to become progressively less sensitive to insulin. This is why dieting is one of the major risk factors for Type II diabetes.

Another danger from dieting is that it results an increase in our lipogenic (fat storing) enzymes and reduces our lipolytic (fat burning) enzymes. The reason for this is that our bodies think there is a life threatening situation and it needs to store energy. This is why dieters more likely lose muscle tissue (more than 50%) instead of stored fat. If you decrease muscle mass, your metabolic rate will be lower, which increases your chance to gain those calories back as fat.

Remember, "diet" is derived originally from the Greek word "dieta," which means "the way of living."

So if you are severely restricting your calories or switching from one diet to another but still having trouble maintaining a healthy body weight, perhaps it is time to pay attention to the quality of your foods rather than the number of calories you are consuming. Also eating according your unique metabolic needs can help your current cravings and portion control. If you would like to learn more about a high quality diet, and perhaps take a simple metabolic typing test, read Paul Chek's book, How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy.⁵ This book is a great reference for people who are willing to make changes for a healthier lifestyle but don't know where to start. If you need more detailed nutrition and lifestyle evaluation, or you have some food allergies and intolerances, or simply you don't have the motivation to make these changes by yourself, a C.H.E.K certified nutrition and lifestyle coach can help you achieving your goals.

Select "whole foods" over "non-foods"

We should ultimately reduce all the processed/boxed/flavored foods and beverages from our daily menus. Looking at the ingredient list of any product is a good way to determine if it is a non-food item or not. Typically, if you need a chemistry degree to be able to read the list of ingredients, that product is probably a non-food item. (Margarines, cookies, crackers, breakfast cereals, frozen foods, packaged foods, most refined breads, vending machine snacks, pasteurized juices and most salad dressings are in this group).

Whole foods are minimally processed foods that are the closest to their natural state. Whole wheat flour, raw nuts and seeds, and fresh fruits and vegetables are good examples. Most dairy and meat sources in the U.S. are treated with pasteurization, homogenization, antibiotics and hormones. Therefore, it is best for us to eat certified organic and free range/grass fed sources for dairy and meat. You can find these foods at farmers markets, Whole Foods, Wild Oats and most other natural food stores.

Breakfast

We all should eat a breakfast within an hour of waking up. It also should also be one of the largest meals of the day. Make sure that your breakfast does not contain non-food items such as baked goods, refined cereals and sugars. (Note: The average US family spends less than 6 minutes preparing their breakfast. Preparation of a breakfast used to take about an hour 50 years ago.)

Meal Planning

To maintain blood sugar levels, it is best to eat every 2 to 3 hours throughout the day. Eating high glycemic foods (fruits, root vegetables, refined grains, etc.) alone will negatively affect our blood sugar control. That means it is best to have some type of protein and some fat with every single meal/snack.

Supporting Liver

Organic fruits and vegetables have higher nutrient values and fewer toxins. Therefore, you can simply start eating organically grown produce to improve your overall liver function and detoxification capabilities. Eliminating all the processed and junk food, alcohol and most synthetic supplements is also beneficial for liver health.

Low-temperature steams/saunas and massages (especially lymphatic drainage massage) can also enhance liver detoxification pathways.

Improving Digestive System

One of the best ways to improve digestion is to eat only when we are hungry and to stop when we are satisfied. You will realize that most people eat when they are lonely, angry, depressed, bored, or they are in a social situation where everyone else is eating. Relaxing while eating is another simple but effective way to improve digestion. Watching stressful events/news or reading newspaper/technical material while eating can create "fight or flight" response which shuts down digestion.

Drinking 2 glasses of clean water before each meal is very beneficial for digestion. Starting each meal with raw (live) foods will improve digestion due to their high enzyme content (such as pineapple and papaya). Dehydrated foods often get stuck to the colon wall and may interfere with digestion⁵. Consider eating foods that can enhance your intestinal flora (friendly bacteria). Organic plain yogurt, fermented foods such as pickles, kefir and Chinese green tea are full of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteria bifidum.

Another simple, but very effective digestive health promoting habit is to chew our food until liquefied. Clinical nutritionist Dr. Nancy Appleton in her book Stopping Inflammation suggests that each mouthful of food should be chewed at least 20 times.⁶

Click here to continue reading on to 5 Pillars of Health: Part II.