Now, more than ever, general health and well-being is at the forefront of everyone’s mind. We are more concerned with our intake of vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc and other important nutrients, getting enough sleep, and engaging in an adequate amount of exercise on a regular basis. 

While there is no magic pill that will instantaneously make everyone achieve optimal health in record time, there are plenty of ways that individuals can work on their health in their own ways, on their own time. It’s more than simply eating the right food, exercising, and sleeping for eight hours every night — health is a combination of the physical, both inside and out, as well as the mental. 

Everyone is built differently. What is healthy for one person, might not necessarily be healthy for others. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to our health and wellness, however there are specific guidelines that we can all follow along with. These guidelines are referred to as the Five Pillars of Health. Simply put, the Five Pillars of Health include:

1. ● Good nutrition

   ● Regular physical activity

   ● Quality sleep

   ● Positive attitude and stress-management

   ● Properly functioning nervous system 

Pillar 1: Nutrition

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are general recommendations for maintaining good nutrition. First and foremost, it’s important to follow a healthy-eating pattern and pay attention to the amount of calories consumed in order to maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk for disease. Additional guidelines include limiting the amount of calories consumed from added sugars and saturated fats, cutting back on sodium, and including a variety of nutrient-dense foods and beverages in your diet. As Dr. Gena says, “if it lived, walked or grew, it’s probably safe to put in your body. Also try to choose organic and non-GMO options where you can.” 

Remember — a proper diet will look different for everyone. With so many people suffering from conditions like Celiac Disease and other digestive disorders that can dictate the types of food and drink you put in your body, we highly recommend speaking with a licensed nutritionist in order to best approach your own personal nutrition regimen. 

Pillar 2: Physical Activity

You don’t necessarily have to train at the gym or go for a ten-mile run, but doing something to stay active every day is very important for your overall health. It doesn’t have to be something strenuous — just make sure to get up and move! Go for a brisk walk outside, take a yoga class, play with your kids and pets, go for a bike ride, etc. If your work requires you to be sitting all day, remember to take standing breaks every once in a while.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 150 minutes of physical activity per week. It might sound like a lot, but it really only comes out to at least 30 minutes per day, five days per week. That’s very doable! 

Pillar 3: Quality Sleep

Getting the right amount of sleep at night can really make a difference. How many times have you had trouble sleeping at night, only to find that you wake up groggy and feel sluggish, lethargic, and cranky for the rest of the day? Sleep affects our productivity levels, our mood, and overall health. 

The CDC recommends that adults 18+ get at least 7 hours per night. For general rules for infants, children, and teens, check out this helpful sleep chart.

Pillar 4: Positivity

Keeping a positive mental attitude about life is generally going to make you a happier person, and that happiness will hopefully be helpful in keeping your stress levels down. Stress management is a key component to our health that often falls to the wayside because it’s more mental than physical — although stress can wreak havoc on us physically as well if we let it get too far.

All of the above pillars can help keep stress levels down. Eating well and feeling good about your health, working out, and getting enough sleep are three common stress relievers. The American Heart Association also recommends these three things to manage stress:

1. ● Turn negative thoughts into positive ones by changing the way you view a situation, i.e., “I can’t do this” turns into “I will do the best I can.”

   ● Use emergency stress stoppers in the moment, such as counting to ten before reacting to a stressful situation or walking away from it and coming back later to figure it out.

   ● Engage in stress-busting activities that help to calm the mind like painting, reading, meditation, listening to music, or going for a walk.

Pillar 5: Well Functioning Nervous System

This last pillar is where Dr. Gena Chiropractic, a family chiropractic practice in Plantation, can be of great assistance. According to Momentum Function Health, this is a very important pillar because while it’s crucial to have a properly functioning nervous system to maintain our health, we also want to make sure our Neuroendocrine System is working at its best. This is the part of our body that consists of our nervous system’s interaction with our hormones. It’s incredibly important that the brain and hormones are working efficiently, otherwise it can be hard to fix other conditions or problems that arise in other parts of the body.

Chiropractic care addresses the nervous system as a whole, which is responsible for just about every single thing we do. It coordinates our actions, provides information to the brain, and guides the body through its thought and reaction process. It’s responsible for how we smell, taste, feel, see, and hear things. It controls our movements, and regulates our organs. The nervous system is our lifeline. Chiropractors use the spinal to access your nervous system.

If there is any kind of interference between the brain-body connection (through the nervous system), it could result in a multitude of problems, ranging from something as simple as back pain to more serious conditions and issues. A chiropractic adjustment removes these subluxations (nerve system interference), and has a positive effect on how the nervous system communicates and connects to the brain. 

To learn more about how Dr. Gena Chiropractic, your favorite family chiropractor in Plantation, can help you achieve the Five Pillars of Health and keep you on the path to wellness, call 954-417-5815 to schedule your appointment today. The office is located minutes west of Fort Lauderdale. 

Remember, your health is in your hands; our hands are here to help!