Four Pillars Of Wellness
In order to feel your absolute best you need to take into account all elements of wellness. I like to call this the pillar approach. We are held up by several pillars, if one breaks or is not strong, then the whole building can come down.
STRESS - I have put this one first as I truly believe it’s the most important. Stress happens when our cortisol and adrenaline levels are spiked and our body is put into fight or flight mode, which can have a knock on affect on many of our body functions including digestion, our ‘second brain’. This can stunt any progress in fitness as you could be training super hard, eating really well but if you’re incredibly stressed then it may not have the effect you desire. When you’re in fight or flight for a prolonged period of time you can be susceptible to Adrenal Fatigue, meaning your body struggles to produce enough of the stress hormones to cope and a vicious circle is created. Read my article on how to lower stress if you need advice.
SLEEP - Lack of sleep can be crippling at most times, but it also completely messes up the functionality of our body and the way we think and perform. Lack of sleep has been proven to increase our hunger hormone Ghrelin and decrease levels of our satiating hormone Leptin, which leads to a desire for high energy comfort foods. It is totally underestimated how much a lack of sleep can affect everything. My advice is to stick to a routine, limit screen time, cut out caffeine after lunch and get your mind into a calm state before bed.
DIET - A healthy diet is about choosing nutrient dense foods that will fuel your day and not over stimulate your digestion at night. Try to think “replace” not “restrict” when it comes to food - Invest some time in finding healthier versions of your favourite foods to satisfy your mind and body. Have a look at these hormone balancing recipes for inspiration and these suggestions for drinks and snacks.
MOVEMENT - I cannot stress how important being active is. This does not mean killing yourself at a gym for hours on end, but simply moving your body in a way that makes you feel good daily. You also need to be mindful here of the relationship between stress levels and exercise. When we are highly stressed or wired from work and then do a heavy, high intensity workout, this is just spiking those stress hormones even further. Listen to your body and if you’re on high alert do some low impact, calming movement to help support you.
Intertwining these pillars will give you a strong foundation to health and wellbeing and support for your stress levels.
© GS Method