It is very alluring to think about scientific breakthroughs or miraculous finds when it comes to curing disease, maximizing health, or reversing the aging process. Complex chemical formulas, high tech devices, and products from deep in the jungle or high in the mountains captivate us, excite us, and keep us believing that we are on the verge of a mysterious answer to all of our health woes.
The strange thing is that the more advanced we get and the more discoveries we find, the further we get from true health. We are now the sickest species on the planet, with the younger generation seemingly getting the sickest. Autism, asthma, allergies, and ADHD are just a handful of very serious conditions plaguing our youth… and those are just some starting with the letter “A.”
As we patiently wait for that big breakthrough (that is NOT coming), we might want to implement behaviors and strategies that are proven to be helpful and healthful. While the list of known health boosters is long, I’ll list five here. Warning… they are not high tech, they are not complex, and they are not sexy.
First, what you eat not only matters, but may be the single most important component when it comes to health. We’ve all heard the saying, “You are what you eat,” and that turns out to be quite literally the truth. The food you consume provides the building blocks for your bones, muscles, organs, brain, and tissues. Fake, junk, and highly processed foods lead to illness. Whole, real, natural foods give your body what it needs to run, heal, and grow. Avoid processed foods, artificial flavors and colors, genetically modified anything, and foods that don’t spoil or decompose if left out for weeks.
Next, move your body more. One in four Americans is completely sedentary. Sitting all day at work, on the couch binging Netflix, or spending hours doom scrolling on your phone have now become among the leading contributors to all causes of mortality. Our joints must bend, our ligaments need to be stretched, our muscles need to flex, our heart needs to pump, and our blood needs to flow. Only one way to get all that done… get moving!
Getting more sunlight is third on my list. While sun exposure has gotten a bad rap in the media and medical community over the past few decades, I believe it will be one of those “oops” recommendations that we have seen in the past. Remember being told butter was bad and margarine was good? Oops! Turns out margarine is bad and (grass-fed) butter is good. Remember hearing eggs were bad? Oops! Turns out they are good. The sun is a requirement for human health. It stimulates the production of the so, so, so important vitamin D. And getting sunlight into our eyes first thing in the morning helps regulate our hormones and our circadian cycle. Our ancestors spent all day, every day, outside, in the sun.
In order to get that sunshine, you obviously need to be outside. This brings me to the fourth basic that will turbocharge your health… grounding. The earth gives off energy that charges our cells. Lightning that strikes the earth creates a charge within the earth, giving a resonant frequency that we need for optimal cell function. We pick up the much-needed electrons when we are barefoot in the grass, splashing in the ocean, wading in river, digging our hands in the dirt, and leaning against trees. Getting your skin in contact with nature outside is one of the simplest, yet least appreciated natural health hacks.
Finally, the quality of our sleep directly affects the quality of our cells. Creating a better sleeping routine has major positive implications for your wellbeing. Trying to get to bed a little earlier, as well as at the same time each night is a great start. Ensure your room is completely dark and keep it colder (65-67 degrees). Experimenting with pillows and having a higher quality mattress will improve your chances of getting deeper, more restorative sleep. Winding down by reading, meditating, or journaling, avoiding electronic screens, and not eating at least two hours prior to going to bed are all extremely helpful.
Despite the fact that these five basics lack high technology, complexity, and sexiness, and are severely overlooked and underappreciated by most primary medical providers, they have been proven over and over again. And not just in labs and in studies, or by scientists…but over millennia. Our ancestors not only managed to perpetuate our species all this time, but avoided the most common chronic illnesses that wreak havoc on us today. These basics are simple, very cost-friendly, incredibly safe, and will have a profound impact on your health. Not sure about it? Try it! No downside… all upside… and these five basics could hold the answers you’ve been searching for in all those high-tech, expensive, and sexy gizmos and gadgets.
