Finding a starting point for improving your health holistically
A quick chat and my tips on seeing the big picture while avoiding overwhelm, setting goals, and understanding your biology
Hello Friends!
I was approached by several loved ones over the holidays with questions regarding health concerns. Whether in a state of overwhelm from too much information or feeling frustrated with having too little understanding, the common denominator seemed to be a sense of bewilderment on where to begin. And I can relate.
I spent most of my teens and early twenties battling one symptom or another while mimicking diet and exercise routines of celebrities…. eeeevventually realising that there is freedom in learning how to be health conscious. It was the beginning of my metamorphosis into a full on health nut.
Health is one of our most precious gifts, yet somehow (unfortunately) most of us are not taught how to view tending to it as an act of significance and self love. If we have been taught anything, it was likely in the form of adages or overly simplified information – “eat your veggies; drink more water… blah, blah, blah”, but these are barely scratching the surface and they do nothing to increase understanding of one’s biology, the laws of nature, or how health maintenance must evolve alongside our changing world. We can do better. The culture can slowly change to be supportive of vibrant health, the kind that would require a little reverence for nature’s wisdom and the power of a supportive community - not a pill bottle.
In that spirit, we are going to dig into some uncomplicated and practical advice on a starting point for making healthy changes.
I’m excited to announce that I’ll soon be posting the first of a new seasonal series AND I have a cool mini course coming for you! With these bigger projects in the works, today’s post is slightly shorter and I’d like to encourage discussion in the comments - which I will respond to! Let me know how you liked this format, as well as:
What have been your experiences around health education, healthcare and thoughts around “getting healthy” or finding a starting point?
Don’t forget to get the video summary and links (below), subscribe, & share with friends :-)
Video summary:
Lifestyle diseases are on the rise - largely due to unhealthy cultural/societal norms, lack of education, poor choices, and toxins in the environment and daily consumer products
Slow living & Seasonal living as a part of my solution to fast-paced stress-inducing culture. If you’re wanting to learn more about slow and seasonal living, check out this post and this post I’ve written!
Body systems work together AND with the natural environment - it is important to consider their interrelationships in health and healing, despite the commonality of reductionist thinking. An example of reductionism in medicine is an approach of separate study of each system (say, the gastrointestinal (GI) system) with little consideration of the effect and interconnected roles it has to other systems (such as how the microbiota within the gut of the GI play a profound role in mental health through both nervous system stimulation, neurotransmitter (and precursor) production, and biochemical signalling).
The importance of being clear on why you want to make the changes that you do and whether the reasoning is wholesome and serving your values. If you’re looking for ways to help get clear on your “why”, try reading my post on therapeutic journaling for ideas, here.
Avoid overwhelm by limiting your goals and the information/people/input coming at you.
The Gut-Brain Axis: the governing systems - Both the brain and the gut are receiving information from our environment (food, light, etc.) and reacting. In addition, they are neurologically and biochemically communicating constantly, giving rise to shifts in the body. With this interconnection, small changes in lifestyle, whether aimed at the physical body or the mind, can influence both - This is good news!
Main points of advice:
🌟Protect yourself
Avoid toxins from the environment and food, as well as toxic relationships, media, and other things “ingested”.
🌟Choose small actionable steps
Think about steps rather than big goals and choose based on what YOU can do reasonably and if possible, choose what you would enjoy.
🌟Take care of your brain & gut
While there are specific protocols for addressing these primarily, focusing on your overall wellbeing will also be beneficial to the gut and the brain AND build a strong wellness foundation. If you don’t know exactly where to start, begin with small healthy lifestyle changes, such as eating more vegetables, getting healthy fats, or adding a mindfulness practice, such as journaling.
Lastly, it’s not a race. Take your time, take is slow and steady. You can learn what you need to know about making big changes while simultaneously making slow, small, steps that feel manageable.
Reach out in the comments if you have questions… and don’t worry, we will soon be digging deeper into all the above.
As always, thanks for reading/watching!
xx Chesica
Love this Chesica! I recently watched “You Are What You Eat” and Blue Zones on Netflix and so much of what you shared is echoed there! ✨ good stuff!