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When I think about creating a foundation of health for my clients, it goes beyond nutrition. Of course, nutrition is a powerful piece of the puzzle, but there are other elements that need to be in place. Each of these six elements—nutrition, sleep, movement, joy, sense of purpose and connection—are deeply intertwined, working together to create a state of sustainable, optimal health.
In my professional experience, I notice a ripple effect: as we begin to strengthen one key element, our motivation to balance and enhance other aspects of health naturally increases. As nutrition brings healing, my clients always find themselves inspired to move more, connect with a deeper purpose and do the things that they love. This integrative approach turns health into a holistic transformative journey, one that heightens joy, purpose and resilience to everyday life. Phrases I hear that reflect this experience include "I have a whole new lease on life", "I feel like a whole new person" or "I am doing new things for the first time in my life".
Here are my Key Elements for an Integrative approach to vitality, why they matter and how we can begin to nurture them in our lives:
Vitality Element No. 1: Nutrition: Building a Foundation of Health
Nutrition impacts every system and every cell of the body influencing how we feel both physically and mentally. It improves our energy, our mental clarity and how our body feels:
How To Nurture
Prioritize Whole Foods: using a balanced meal approach, include quality proteins, healthy fats, whole grains, plenty of fruits and vegetables with every meal
Practice Phyto-nutrition: phytonutrients are compounds that come from colourful plants that communicate with the cells in our body and change how they function. Include colourful plants every meal.
Limit Unhealthy Foods: remove foods that provide little or zero nutritional value like ultra-processed foods, processed foods or those laden with chemical additives
Vitality Element No. 2 Sleep: The Foundation of Restoration
Sleep is a key element to vitality in our lives because it is during deep, quality sleep that our body is able to experience healing, repair and regeneration. Important processes like detoxification and deep cellular 'cleaning' happen when we sleep. We release growth hormone - our 'youth' hormone, in this important phase of sleep.
How To Restore Quality Sleep:
Establish a sleep routine: whether that includes evening tea time, a warm bath or shower or a relaxing activity like reading. This will become a strong signal to your body that it is time for sleep.
Reset Evening Lighting: light has a powerful influence on the timing and release of our sleep-wake hormones. To help the sleep-wake cycle align with the rhythm of nature, keep your evening lighting in orange to red hues (think bon-fire) and sleep in complete darkness for healthy release of melatonin.
Limit Eating 3 hours before Bed: no eating 3 hours before bed helps your body to complete digestion and metabolism for the day so you can shift into the state of repair and regeneration. Eating before bed keeps your body prioritizing metabolism and you may miss out on regenerative processes.
Vitality Element No. 3 Movement: Energizing the Body and Mind
Daily movement supports every biological system in your body to work towards optimal function. It enhances the gut microbiome, balances blood sugars, boosts function of mitochondria, regulates the nervous system and enhances immunity. It circulates nutrients in the body to get them where they need to go. Exercise builds and maintains our lean body mass which is key to longevity and extending years of vitality.
How to Nurture Daily Movement
Simple Walking: If you don't move currently, begin with something as simple as walking 10 minutes a day. Going for a short walk after a meal can significantly help to improve insulin resistance
Find joyful movement: do what you love to do: even if you just dance to your favourite songs, try Qi Gong or Tai Chi, join a local fitness class, kayak, hike, bike or take up a sport
Add strength training : once or twice a week to help build and maintain muscle. The key is to preserve our muscles that support a healthy metabolism for vitality and longevity.
Vitality Element No. 4: Cultivating Joy: Managing Your Stress
Joy is an attitude and state of awareness that is centered on emotions associated with the heart such as compassion, gratitude and love. It is the opposite of stress and activates a parasympathetic state known as rest and digest or tend and befriend. Cultivating joy creates a feeling of inner peace and resilience. It can bring a deeper connection to your innermost self.
How to Nurture Joy
Cultivate a Positive Perspective: look a problems in your life not as problems but as situations that you just don't have the solution for yet. Turn your negatives into positives and know that everything is going to work out and you are always growing and evolving
Practice Gratitude & Appreciation: gratitude can bring balance to the body- the emotional body. Make it a practice to tell yourself things you are grateful for every day either upon rising or before going to bed (or both!) in place of complaining.
Create Inner Peace- be in a state of flow with everything in your life and practice relaxing the body everyday. Take time daily to relax the body, listen to peaceful music, take deep breaths. When you relax the body, the mind will follow.
Create Your Joy List: start by writing a list of 7 things that bring you joy and then schedule them!
Vitality Element No. 5: Sense of Purpose: The Foundation of Fulfillment
Having a purpose is like your anchor in the storm. Purpose gives life depth, meaning, fuels motivation and is like a compass to guide action. It helps us to understand and cultivate our unique purpose in the world, that brings a sense of satisfaction, a key element in vitality. When we are connected to our purpose, we are not just surviving, we are thriving.
How To Nurture Purpose
Reflect on Your Passions: spend some time exploring what really lights you up - what activities, personal qualities or goals really make you feel alive? Ask yourself what contribution you want to make for others. Journal or simply observe answers to these questions.
Follow What Feels Meaningful: pay attention to what truly brings you a deeper sense of joy or meaning and the activities or actions that you are naturally drawn too. Purpose unfolds gradually- and reveals itself through things that resonate with the heart.
Embrace Personal Growth: purpose emerges in a process of self-discovery- as we learn more about ourselves. Pursue experiences that encourage growth and take you out of your comfort zone- like learning a new skill, traveling or creative projects. When creating space for personal growth, purpose begins to reveal itself.
Vitality Element No. 6: Connections: The Foundation of Community
Community is at the heart of our shared experience that reminds us we are part of something greater than ourselves. Connection and community provides a platform for expressing our authentic selves, help us to experience a deeper feeling of support and allows us to play out our unique purpose and joy.
How To Nurture
Prioritize Self Care: this first relationship you have is the one with yourself! Take time to nurture your self in some way each day. This makes you better for meaningful connections.
Practice Heart Centered Awareness: this means approaching each interaction with compassion and empathy. By taking a moment to center yourself, connect with your heart, before interacting with others, you create an energetic vibe where others feel seen, heard and valued.
Engage in Service for Others: whether by volunteering, mentoring or simply being there for friends and family, serving others reminds us that we belong to a greater whole. Join groups or communities that align with your interests.
The Vitality Blueprint
The word "vitality" originates from the Latin word "vitalas" which means 'of or belonging to life'; derived from the term "vita" which means life. Vitality embodies the essence of being alive bringing a sense of endless energy, honouring life as a gift and enhanced capacity to live fully. It captures the feeling of an inner life force that goes beyond survival to the ability to thrive.
Each of these vitality elements- nutrition, sleep, movement, joy, purpose and connection- form a foundation for vitality that supports us in optimizing holistic health. Nutrition nourishes our bodies, sleep restores us, movement energizes us, joy lifts our spirits, purpose guides us and connections strengthen us in belonging. When one element is improved, it naturally enhances the others with a truly integrative approach to health. For me personally, vitality is my litmus and guiding principle of how to live.
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