THE FIVE PILLARS OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS
by Dr. Brian D. Huggins

Well I certainly hope that everyone had an enjoyable Holiday Season. It seems to have such fanfare and then just as quickly be behind us. Naturally the majority of us have some form of New Years Resolutions to start out the year with. As my late father often told me that “the road to hell was paved with good intentions”. As a young lad I never really comprehended what the cliché had to do with anything. I believe now it is not hard to realize that all of those Gym memberships initiated at the start of the year that are not being utilized and a large number of garages or crawl spaces are being populated with various modes of fitness equipment,  may have something to do with it. Many have not even had the opportunity to gather dust but remain ever quiet from lack of use.

I guess the question that we must ask ourselves is what is the real meaning or core motivation that is at the root of our resolutions? Is it that we have the desire to increase our fitness level or is it more pragmatic in that we want to avoid being sick and or diseased? Do you really want to become healthier in the year of 007?

It is my perception that in order to enjoy copious health and wellness it is critical to embrace what I call the Parthenon or Pillars of Health and Wellness. These principles are based on immutable or undeniable and absolute truths. They do not change with fads or fashionable concepts. Let me briefly delve into these pillars.

So what exactly are the pillars of health and wellness? Well the first component is Proper Nutrition. Now we could write chapters alone on this subject and still only be scratching the surface. We can all agree that the fuel that you put into your system is critical for maximum performance. You wouldn’t put the wrong fuel in a jet engine and expect it to function at its highest level.

There are differing views on the what foods are best for you but ultimately it is my opinion that you need to feed your body with not only the proper proteins, carbohydrates, and fats but you absolutely need the correct allocation of vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids. It is my opinion that we lack certain vitamins and minerals even if we have a balanced intake of foodstuffs. You see we get our minerals mostly from the soil and they are absorbed into plant matter that we digest. Unfortunately out of 67 or so essential and trace minerals most have been leached out of the soil and ground.

All that is added back into the soil is Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium or in other words fertilizer. Is it any wonder that our bodies display a variety of symptoms that in my opinion are related to a lack and shortfall of minerals? So how do we get these minerals and or vitamins? It is therefore critical to eat a balanced diet and supply your body with certain supplements. My one recommendation would be a colloidal mineral that supplies a wide variety of minerals in an easy to take liquid form.  This is only a comment on nutrition and a much more in-depth investigation is required.

The second component or pillar of health and wellness is Proper Exercise. Now when I refer to exercise this incorporates stretching for the muscles and joints as well as a level of cardiovascular workout. The old adage holds water in that if you do not use it you will lose it.  Your cardio workout should consist of a minimum of thirty minutes at least five times per week. A brisk walk to elevate your heart rate will do the trick. With regards to stretching and joint mobility I like to incorporate stretches into the day to day activities as opposed to setting time aside at the end of the day and then ultimately not doing them! Again an entire treatise could be written about this pillar and if you want more information plan to attend a workshop specific to the category.

The third pillar is Proper Rest. The rest phase of sleep is when your body repairs itself and regenerates. Did you know that you replace most of the cells in your body every 90 days? It occurs during the rest phase. When you sleep stay off of your stomach as this will lead to neck and back pain as well as some other issues. If you are tossing and turning all night long then you need to address getting some quality sleep.

The fourth pillar is a Positive Mental Outlook. I believe that you can program yourself to have a good or a bad day. It all starts with having a positive concept in your life. We are all so fortunate here in Canada that we need to adopt the Gratitude Attitude and get rid of any “Stinkin’ Thinkin”. Ask yourself what is the worse case scenario and then you begin to realize that even that is better than how the majority of people in the world have it. We can be architects of our own lives as long as we decide to make those choices. When you sit down and write a list of accomplishments that you have in your life and a list of things , events and people that you are grateful for, you begin to see a picture develop that we are truly blessed here…no matter our predicament.

The fifth pillar is that of a Properly Functioning Nervous System or Chiropractic Essentials. The fundamental philosophy of chiropractic is that we are a self healing organism, designed to be healthy as long as there in no interference with the transmission of innate intelligence. One of the most common interferences with our innate intelligence is a vertebral subluxation. A what you ask? Well subluxation is a fancy term for misalignment or bone out of place. Sort of like when the circuit breaker goes in your electrical panel. It needs to be properly aligned again to make it work.  When bones are out of place it may interfere with your muscles and organs and ultimately the function of your body. (Did you know that a motor vehicle accident of only 5 kph can cause damage to the spine and ligaments?)  If Subluxations or spinal misalignments interfere with the function of your nervous system (your onboard computer) then it only makes sense that reducing subluxations will improve function and ultimately health and wellness.

I think that the fundamentals of trying to have your body function as close to 100% as possible is the road to health and wellness. There are so many things that can help you function closer to perfection and in my opinion chiropractic is one of them.

I would like to wish you all the very best in Health, Happiness and Success throughout the “007” year.

Peace, Brian Huggins, D.C.