Many of us have had our lives turned upside down and are looking for a way to stay healthy mind, body and soul. It is trying times; this is true, but what we do for ourselves now can create a rebirth of sorts, so we want to introduce you to a NEW ME.
A NEW ME is an acronym for Nutrition Exercise Wellness Mouth Emotions. What this means for you is during this time of change, it is time to change ourselves. First proper Nutrition is key to a healthy body. Our bodies ability to heal and fight off invaders has a lot to do with what we put into it. We need good clean nutritious food to fuel our system. Poor quality nutrition filled with sugar and carbohydrates feed inflammation which will reduce our immune system. Now is the time to have our body’s running like a well oiled machine. Feeding our body nutrient dense food will stave off many illnesses, reduce inflammation and increase our body’s defense mechanisms. The saying we are what we eat is never more true than now.
Get your body moving with Exercise. Whether it be a simple stroll around the block or doing a full circuit in your home gym, exercise will not only benefit you physically, it has been proven to have mental health benefits as well. Many of us are not able to leave our homes and are in somewhat of a “rut”. If we can recognize that we are in control and we have a choice to make a difference and get up off that couch!
Wellness seems to be the new catch phrase, but those of us who like to live a holistic lifestyle, this is a main part of our being. Wellness is not just a single aspect of our life, it has at least seven parts. These are: social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, occupational, intellectual, and physical wellbeing (1). As we unfold the many pieces of what wellness means through our new blog series, you’ll see we are multi-dimensional beings that need care and grooming to grow to the best version of ourselves
Next we want to talk about the Mouth. Your Mouth is the gateway to your health! According to the world renowned Dietrich Klinghardt MD, PhD “80% of patient’s health problems can be partially traced to the mouth”(2), so why are we not paying more attention to it as a medical necessity? Obtaining and maintaining optimal oral health not only is good for your mouth but its critical for your body. We can make sure we eat right, exercise and put only good clean water in our systems, but if we have dental infections whether it be something as simple as early gingivitis to as significant as a focal infection that you may not be aware of, it will all be put in jeopardy. By not addressing the oral condition, you can possibly put your entire health status at risk.
Lastly pay attention to your Emotions. During this time of uncertainty you may feel anxiety and fear. Anxiety has been implicated in several chronic physical illnesses, such as heart disease, chronic lung disorders, and gastrointestinal problems. When people with these disorders have untreated anxiety, the disease itself is more difficult to treat, and their physical symptoms may often become worse (3). Not only that, anxiety and fear can paralyze us into not taking good care of ourselves. Remember to control what you can and for all else, follow precautions and recommendations. Our mind can be our friend or foe, we are in control.
(1) https://allwork.space/2019/05/how-to-address-the-7-dimensions-of-wellness-in-the-workplace/
(3) https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/anxiety_and_physical_illness
