The Wellness Lifestyle: Building a Foundation for Better Health After 40
Many people think wellness is something that happens after a health crisis. In reality, wellness is built through small daily habits that support your body over time, which is why I call it the wellness lifestyle.
Most chronic health concerns don’t develop overnight. They often result from years of accumulated habits, stress, poor sleep, inactivity, nutritional deficiencies, and lifestyle choices. The good news is that positive changes work the same way. Small improvements practiced consistently can help support energy, metabolism, digestion, emotional wellness, and overall health.
What is a Wellness Lifestyle
Creating a wellness lifestyle takes a little bit of focus. The reward, however, is amazing! The wellness lifestyle is created by building healthy habits and focusing on each habit individually till it is set in stone. Many of us are wondering what wellness means. According to dictionary.com, wellness is ” the quality or state of being healthy in body and mind, especially as the result of deliberate effort”. It is also “an approach to healthcare that emphasizes preventing illness and prolonging life, as opposed to emphasizing treating diseases.”
Many wellness enthusiasts like myself make a deliberate effort to take care of themselves. I refer to this as participating and taking responsibility! So often, we see that some of our friends and family, just when they are about to retire and are ready to start traveling and doing things, they become stricken with ill health. It is important to remember that poor health doesn’t develop overnight and usually builds over time, like tooth decay or rust.
It is hard to think about creating a wellness lifestyle when we are young and vibrant, have no aches and pains, and just keep on going all the way through our 20’s and 30s. Sooner or later, we wake up. That usually occurs somewhere between 40 and 50. We start noticing some aches and pains, or notice that we are not feeling well. Or maybe some of you notice that you have put on a little extra weight.
Hopefully, those of you who have not begun participating will take this as a nudge or wake-up call to start participating before these minor problems lead to chronic problems that can seriously affect your daily life. Participate and try to avoid chronic problems like diabetes, heart disease, strokes, or obesity. No need to panic, even if you already have some of these chronic problems, because there is help, and you can help yourself and do it yourself!
Creating the Wellness Lifestyle
Wellness is actually created over years of good habits and built on a strong foundation. Your foundation should consist of:
- Clean Air & Clean Water
- Good Nutrition
- Sleep
- Exercise
- Healthy Emotions and Spirit
Each of the above items is equally important to the body, and each provides its benefits.
Clean Air | Deep breathing
Clean air and deep breathing help the body release toxins. It also helps relax the mind (emotions) and the body (pain). Strengthens the lungs, heart, and immune system, boosts energy, and helps to promote better digestion, which can assist with weight loss. So start a new habit of taking 5 deep breaths in (breathe from your abdomen) and out each day, and see how amazing you will feel. Try relaxing and breathing outside on a sunny day.
Clean water
This essential nutrient is also extremely important. So many people share with me that they hate drinking water, and yet it is so necessary for the body. Other liquids are just not utilized by the body in the same way water is. So focus on developing the habit of drinking half your body weight in ounces of water per day!
Please do not drink tap water, and don’t buy bottled water. Tap water quality varies significantly depending on where you live. Some water supplies may contain contaminants such as chlorine, pesticides, pharmaceutical residues, heavy metals, or agricultural runoff. Bottled water comes in plastic bottles, adding to pollution, and is usually no healthier or offers better quality than tap water. Consider investing in water filtration products for your home and shower.
Good Nutrition
We are what we eat, so good nutrition means focusing on eating foods as they come from nature, full of so many valuable enzymes, vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and antioxidants. Foods include organic, whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, legumes & properly fed livestock, and wild-caught fish. This is very similar to a gut-healthy diet.
Focus at all times on eating the highest-quality food available to you. This means that when you are at the neighbor’s party, select the best of what they have and just become conscious of what you are eating; you will be amazed at the choices you make! Remember, quality food is minimally processed, grown, and harvested correctly. Focus on minimizing highly processed foods, sugary beverages, fast food, and packaged convenience foods whenever possible.
Exercise daily.
There are many forms of exercise you can do. I suggest selecting and doing something that makes you sweat and that you enjoy! You can dance, ride bikes, stretch, do yoga, pilates, weight lift, walk, and play sports like hockey, so many choices! Exercise has so many benefits because it helps to prevent excess weight gain, increases HDL (the happy cholesterol), and decreases triglycerides (the fat in your blood), making it very heart-healthy! It also improves your mood, helps reduce stress, and promotes better sleep – all of which are needed for a good foundation!
Sleep
Resting well is often lacking in its importance! Did you know you can go longer without food than you can sleep? If you deprive your body of sleep for 11-14 days, your body turns on itself. It is hard to take in that there are between 50 and 70 million Americans dealing with sleep loss or sleep disorders. So tips for better sleep include turning off all the electronics at least 30 minutes before bedtime, making sure you have no caffeine or sugar after 3 pm, and keeping yourself on a sleep schedule! Listening to music may also help you relax. If you have trouble, Focus on getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night!
Emotions and Spiritual
Both of these are huge keys in the foundation. So many of us focus on the negative and not on the positive, and do not seek spiritual guidance when needed. Managing stress and being one spiritually does wonders for our emotions and our souls. Gratitude journaling and social connection is also very beneficial.
Together, these foundational habits help support gut health, metabolism, energy production, emotional wellness, and healthy aging.
I believe that if you focus on your foundation, you will begin your journey toward a wellness lifestyle and start noticing improvements in your health. Begin your journey today, pick one of the foundation keys, and start implementing it, and create a new habit!
What’s Next
Wellness isn’t built in a day. It’s built one habit at a time. If you’re ready to create healthier habits that support gut health, metabolism, energy, and overall wellness, start with The Healthy Habits Challenge. You’ll learn simple daily habits that can help you feel better, reduce overwhelm, and build a stronger foundation for long-term health.