Six Principle of Wellness to Help You Look, Feel, and Perform at Your Best.

Reconnect with your body and get your health back with the 6 principles.

01

Thinking

Our thoughts control our actions. Our thoughts are like the governor of our bodies. For example, if you relax and think of what makes you happy, you will feel that happiness and joy. On the other hand, when you think of a time you were stressed out, your body will produce these stress chemicals as though you were back in that situation. What you’re thinking affects your reality the most. Our attachment to our thoughts can make or break us. Most anxiety and depression stems from our attachments to our thoughts. Much of the stress we feel is because we think the future is going to be worse than the present

The thinking practice:

  • Close your eyes and bring your awareness toward your breath
  • The goal is to become aware of one thought at a time. How long you do the mediation does not matter. Although the more you do it, the stronger your awareness muscle will become and the less you will be affected by your thoughts.
  • Start by sitting or laying down.
  • Let the thoughts into your house and out through the back door. Sometimes it may stay for a while. But as you keep practicing, you will get better at saying goodbye to your thoughts.
  • Keep your awareness with your breath and notice any thoughts that come and visit you.

human nature

It is human nature to imagine the worst possible outcome. This tendency helped us survive thousands of years ago. But nowadays, this pattern of chronic stress thinking can break us. Research shows that stress is the leading cause of cancer and disease.

The best tool that has helped me become more aware of my thoughts is through meditation. There are many methods out there for meditation. But the simplest one I have come across is to simply sit or lay down and start becoming aware of your breathing. Many people think meditation is difficult because you have to “stop” your thinking. But your brain is designed to think, and I am grateful for my thinking brain. Instead of stopping our thoughts. A more practical way is to observe our thoughts like we’re sitting on a hill side and observing all the cars passing through while not letting any car pull us with it. There are many apps out there that are great, such as Calm, Insight Timer, Oak Mediation, Brain.fm, and more!

02

Breathing

Breathing has a powerful effect on our body. It is one of the mechanisms that tells our brain if we are in a safe environment or in a dangerous or a stressful environment. When we’re in a safe environment, our body will be able to heal and digest. On the other hand, if we’re in a stressful environment, our body will think we have to be ready at all times. This takes up a lot of energy as you can imagine. Many people weren’t taught to be aware of their breathing or how different styles of breathing affects their body. Research shows that nine out of ten people are not breathing correctly.

The Breathing practice:

  • Start by sitting or laying down.
  • You can put your hand on your belly or feedback or just place your hand at a comfortable position on your side.
  • Breath out through your nose, and feel the sense of relaxation. You can try to imagine a peace and relaxing place such as laying at a beach somewhere.
  • Breath into your nose. Feel the expansion of your belly, then your chest.
  • Continue to breath for 5 or more minutes to have a therapeutic effect.
  • Notice how different you feel. The side effect of belly breathing is more energy, better digestion, better sleep, detoxification, and much much more.

proper relaxing breath

A proper relaxing breath is to use our main breathing muscle, the diaphragm, to breathe. Incorrect breathing happens when we breathe with our chest and do not expand our belly. This sends a stress signal to our brain, making our brain think that we’re in a dangerous stressful environment when we are not. These stress signals then cause our body to constantly be in a chronic stressed state. Later on, this stress can show up as headache, arthritis, insomnia, constipation, sleep issues, low energy, chronic pain, and more.

An easy way to know if you’re breathing correctly is to put your hand on your stomach and inhale into your stomach. Imagine you are expanding your entire stomach: the front, the side, and the back. Ideally, your first ⅔ of breath should go into your belly and the last ⅓ will expand your chest. If your breathing doesn’t feel like this, it may mean that you can improve your belly breathing and start healing your body.

03

nutrition

When it comes to nutrition, every individual has different needs. Some people may need more protein. Some may need more carbohydrates. Some may need more fat.To understand what your body needs to be healthy, you can track your food intake and record how you feel after each meal. If what you’re eating is good for your body, you will feel energized. On the other hand, if you feel you have less energy, gas or bloating.

The eating practice

That is an indication the food you’re eating may not be good for your body. Food is not just energy; it is also information for our bodies. When the quality of the food we eat diminishes, so does our health. Eating high-quality food from organic sources supports our earth and our body. Discarding certain food that you enjoy is difficult for most people. I also enjoy treats here and there (like chocolate ice cream). One method that has worked well for me is the 80/20 rule. The goal is to eat healthy 80% of the time and enjoy yourself 20% of the time.

Track your food:

  • What did you eat?
  • When did you eat?
  • How do you feel after you eat (30-60 mins)?
  • Adjust according to what your body is telling you.
  • Notice the connection to how you feel and what/when you eat. It may take a couple of weeks to tune into your body.

04

Hydration

Our body is 60-75% water. All of the chemical reactions in our bodies rely on water to keep working smoothly. Dehydration can lead to many issues, such as joint pain, low energy, constipation, and more.

The hydration practice:

  • Drink filtered water according to your weight and your urine color.
  • Have a water bottle on hand at all times. A stainless steel or glass bottle is recommendable.
  • Add a pinch of high quality salt to your water to help your body absorb the water. This may also help you enjoy the water more.

Here are some common questions I receive regarding hydration:

A good starting point is drinking half of your body weight in ounces. Another way is to check your urine color. It should be very light yellow. If it is yellow or dark yellow, you’re a bit dehydrated.
Most tap water is heavily treated with chemicals. It is a good idea to install a water filter or drink spring water.
Most filtered water does not contain enough minerals. And when you drink that water, it will actually take minerals from your body so that your body can absorb the water to use it. But you can try adding high-quality sea salt or Himalayan pink salt to the water to raise its mineral content, which will also increase its pH level. You may also find that it tastes better.
No, they do not count because anything other than water has to go through your digestive system. Pure water has a dilution effect on the body. When our body has a lot of toxins from stress and poor quality food, water can be a great detoxifier. “The best solution for pollution is dilution” – Paul Chek.

05

Sleep

Sleep is mother nature’s best medicine, and it’s free! Research has shown that most people need at least seven to nine hours of sleep to function at their best. Sleeping eight hours may not help if the quality of your sleep is poor. This includes waking up multiple times or having a hard time falling asleep. Good quality sleep is indicated by feeling refreshed and not tired throughout the day, and by not relying on caffeine or other stimulants to push through the day.

practice for a good night of sleep:

  • Eat 2-3 hours before bed
  • Avoid screens after sunset or wear blue light blocking glasses
  • Make sure your room is completely dark and cool
  • Get some sunlight and movement every morning
  • Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening
  • Have a ritual before bed
  • Wake up around the same time everyday

Here are some questions I ask regarding sleep & tips on how to improve your sleep:

If so, wearing blue light blocking glasses will help. This is because they block out the blue light from screens that disrupts your body’s natural sleep rhythm (it makes your body think it’s still daylight).
Research shows that having a sleep ritual helps the body get into a “ready for sleep” mode. This could be taking a shower, reading a book, journaling, or listening to some calm, relaxing music. The options are endless; the only limitation is your imagination.
Research shows that eating too late will cause your digestive system to work overtime. If you do have to eat late, it may help to figure out if more protein and fat or more carbs works better for you. Still, try not to eat two to three hours before bed.
Research shows that even a small amount of light can prevent a good night’s sleep. Having a full blackout will help. Our bodies are very sensitive to light, especially blue light. If you plan to sleep past sunrise, it’s a good idea to have your room completely blacked out. Darkness signals the body that it is time to sleep.
Caffeine can stay in our body for an extended period of time, depending on the individual. Try to have caffeine only in the morning and see if that helps.
Research shows that most people sleep better when the room temperature is between 60 and 67ºF.

06

Movement

Sitting is the new smoking. A lack of movement tells your body that you don’t need to use it. When we exercise a muscle, we break it down, which tells the muscle that it is needed. However, when we don’t move much all day, that tells the body that we don’t need it anymore. When your body thinks you don’t need it anymore, it is not going to continue to function properly. As we age, it is more important to stay in motion to keep our joints healthy.

Tips on getting more movement:

  • The best time to get movement and exercise is when you are already moving. The second best time is now.
  • Start small and build up. You can walk for ten minutes after meals. This will also help the body digest food
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