What does it mean to be well?   8 Apr 2014

The holistic helpers guide to wellness: part one

Tricia Alach

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Wellness: more than the absence of illness?

With longevity increasing and the rise in chronic, often preventable conditions such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease, the whole concept of wellness is under examination. This is especially so in the natural therapies field where we are often working with those who want to optimise their quality of life and take preventative steps to avoid illness.
The holistic approach begins with the premise that the different facets of wellness are interconnected. In particular, being physically well is often influenced by emotional and spiritual factors and vice versa. Moreover, it’s actually the combination of being well in body/mind/spirit that seems to explain why some people appear to be perennially healthy and happy while others struggle along - catching every bug going, popping lots of pills and feeling miserable much of the time.

Chronic is cumulative

It’s quite rare that a person goes from being completely healthy to very ill overnight. Usually the process of becoming seriously ill is a slow one that results from a combination of biological and environmental factors interplaying over time. Genetics continue to play a role but as the saying goes ‘your genes might load the gun but it’s your lifestyle that pulls the trigger’. Many lifestyle factors have been identified as increasing the likelihood of developing a chronic illness with the 3 most common being:

Lack of sleep: The modern malaise of simply not getting enough sleep has been linked to both short-term impairment and a higher likelihood of suffering from chronic disease in the longer term. A lack of sleep has also been linked to higher levels of stress and anxiety, depression and other forms of mental illness.

Stress: The long term effects of chronic stress on the mind and body are starting to be more widely understood and linked to a range of conditions from IBS to cancer. Not surprisingly a high level of stress is often prevalent in people who have poor sleep patterns. Conversely, those who sleep badly are also more likely to suffer the effects of stress as they are missing out on the repair and restore function that sleep provides each night.  

Poor nutrition: Despite the abundance of food available in the developed world and the army of nutritionists giving advice on what to eat, many people are still not using food in the way nature intended. Over time this can lead to nutritional deficiencies, weight issues, lowered immunity and increased susceptibility to physical and mental illness.
The good news is that our bodies have a remarkable capacity to heal themselves and much of the damage done by lifestyle factors is reversible if you make a few changes. So if you have decided to make wellness a priority in your life keep reading and take the first test – how well do you look today?

Assess your appearance

Today we start with the body and consider how your appearance can give vital insights into your inner health. Doing this regularly can act as an ‘early warning system’ to help you identify potential issues and take preventative action. This self-assessment is best done first thing in the morning when you can see yourself in your most natural state.

Skin, hair and eyes

Dehydrated or blemish prone skin, lifeless hair and dull eyes can be signs of poor diet, lack of sleep, a body struggling under chronic stress or the symptom of a more serious condition. Central heating and staring too long at a computer screen each day can also dry out the skin and irritate the eyes and may be telling you that you’re spending too much time indoors in an artificial environment. Puffiness and dark circles under the eyes can be a sign of an overworked liver which can reflect poor diet, high stress levels or too much drinking.
If you don’t like what you see start to make small changes like going to bed earlier, getting more fresh air and exercise, cutting back on the booze or increasing the amount of water, fresh fruit and veg in your diet. Monitor your appearance over the next month and see if anything changes. What you’re aiming for is supple, well-hydrated skin, shiny, bouncy hair and sparkly eyes.

Your expression

Is your expression soft and serene or has that line between your brows deepened into a permanent pucker? What about the lines around your mouth – do you they point upwards (evidence of lots of smiling) or downwards (evidence of much pursing of lips in disapproval). Permanent frown lines, a worried expression and tightness around the mouth all point to high levels of stress and a lack of relaxation.

If you’re scaring yourself with your expression take a few minutes to consciously relax your face muscles. Breathe slowly and deeply for at least 3 minutes – in through the nose and out through the mouth – and see if your expression softens. Try to embed this as a habit each morning when you wake up and each night before you go to bed. With each inhale visualise yourself drawing in fresh, replenishing, reinvigorating air and with each exhale visualise the release of tension and toxins and feel yourself letting go of whatever is stressing you out!

Your posture

Are you the poster child for hunched shoulders, a rounded upper spine and a head that hangs down around chest level rather than sitting proudly upright and looking life in the face? Poor posture is endemic in those with desk based jobs and one of the best ways to tell if you’re spending too long sitting in front of a computer or TV screen. Worryingly there are also reports of a huge increase in the number of children presenting with these postural issues which can significantly impact on how their bodies develop. Have a look at your little ones and remove i-pad as needed!

Our bodies are designed to stand and move and sitting too long can impact our ability to breath properly, affect blood sugar levels and the flow of oxygen and other nutrients to our organs and muscles. Get up and move around as much as possible during the day, stretch regularly, stand up straight and put your shoulders back as you look around you to loosen up your neck.
The other reason we tend to hunch and curve forward is weak core muscles – front, side and back. These muscles are essential to good posture and failure to develop and maintain a strong core can result in frequent back pain or even serious injury. The ideal is to take regular exercise that works these muscles (yoga, pilates) but if that’s just not going to happen practice squeezing, holding then releasing these muscles any time you are sitting or standing with nothing else to do. Doing this daily on the tube, queuing for your morning coffee queues and whenever you are ‘on hold’ will work them just as well as doing it in the gym!

Your tummy

A lot of attention is being paid nowadays to the notion of the ‘second brain’ which resides in our gut and is believed by some to be smarter and more important than the brain in our head when it comes to health. While we can’t see into our tummies to know exactly what’s going on they are pretty great at sending a message when something isn’t quite right on the wellness front.
Regular bloating, especially when accompanied by diarrhoea or constipation is a sign that your digestive system isn’t happy and could be signalling a food intolerance or allergy, that you are eating too fast, high stress levels or be an early sign of some more serious conditions like an ulcer or IBS. Take smaller bites and consciously chew your food, start keeping a food diary to spot any patterns and, if pain persists, see your doctor.

Considered more of a risk factor than overall weight it is believed that carrying fat around your middle aka abdominal obesity aka a pot belly is associated with an increased risk of a range of conditions including heart disease, diabetes, asthma and Alzheimer’s disease. If you notice yourself putting on weight, especially around your centre and your waist measurement gets to be more than 102cm for men and 88cm in women it’s time to get expert help.

Coming up in part two: the role of mind-set and meaning in optimal health

About the author:
London based Natural Therapist and Wellness Coach, Tricia Alach specialises in working with busy people who want to relax, rebalance and revitalise their lives. Visit www.flowmindandbody.com or follow her @tricialach or on facebook for tips on how to live happier, healthier and more holistically in each and every day.

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