The 5 Pillars of Health

I present to you the 5 pillars of health. Vibrant health and vitality can only be built on these pillars, and they need to be strong and well maintained.

Hydration, the first of the 5 Pillars of Health

Hydration is FAR more than drinking plenty water. Hydration = electrolytes plus water. You can drink a gallon of water every day and still be dehydrated if you’re low in electrolytes. In fact, drinking more than 48 oz of liquid per day, in the presence of depleted electrolytes: calcium, sodium, potassium, chloride, phosphorus, and magnesium, can lead to more problems than it will help. A normal weight individual with high blood pressure is a classic example of this phenomenon.

Recommendation: Drink ONLY when you are thirsty and unlearn, “drink your body weight in ounces of water per day.” This folktale is in no way grounded in published scientific research.

Move, the Second of the 5 Pillars of Health

“The body will remodel according to the stressors placed upon it” – Dr. Ettinger. These stressors can be physical, gravitational, emotional, electromagnetic, or chemical, to name but a few. You will remodel, for good or bad, based upon the things you do or don’t do. You will remodel, for good or bad, based upon things you are exposed to.

Recommendation: However you would like your body or mind to be, look, or feel, do that thing. If you want to run fast, run fast. If you want to be a sloth, act like a sloth. If you want to be stress-free, get out of the stressful situations. You are the only person who can remodel “you” or allow yourself to me remodeled. Knowingly or unknowingly, most of us are exactly where we want to be, whether we are happy about it or not. If we really wanted to change we would and if we don’t change it’s because we don’t want to change. At least for this moment in time.

Sleep, the Third of the 5 Pillars of Health

The only time our body can put its full attention on repair, healing, growth, and regeneration is when we sleep. 6-8 hour per night is ideal. Here is a previous post on sleep – 13 ways to achieve a perfect night’s sleep

Think, the Forth of the 5 Pillars of Health

It’s all about positive thinking. “Every day, in every way, I get better and better.” “What we can perceive, we can achieve.” “Thoughts become things.” These are just a few affirmations that have helped me lead the life I deserve and want to live. What you say is what you mean. If you constantly say, “I don’t have time or money”, then you will never have time or money. If you say, “I can’t”, then you never will. Change the way you speak and you will change the way you think and live. Change the way you think and you will change the way you speak and live.

Recommendation: Person – “how are you today?” You – “Amazing or fantastic or great!” Do this and you WILL feel the difference. Also, the moment you “intend” to do something, like, “I intend to join a gym”, immediately apply an action-step. Do this and it will get done. Intention without action, is at best, just a good idea.

• Additional exercises that will help in positive thinking
• Open the door for others.
• Say thank you to everyone, for everything.
• Smile often.
• Let the other person finish talking before you begin.
• Ask others about themselves or about their day before you share your information.

Eat, the Fifth of the 5 Pillars of Health

Eat with a purpose. Eating because you are hungry is logical. Eating dead, devitalized, poisonous, toxic, or genetically modified food, to satisfy hunger, is not logical. The logical thing is to eat living, nutrient-dense, organic, wild-caught, pasture-raised, and non-GMO food. You can satisfy your hunger, while nourishing every cell in your body, with nutrients they need for optimum performance. You are more important than anything you will ever own. Yet most of us take better care of our car than our body. To me, that sounds absolutely insane, but it’s true. Let’s reverse that and make us the priority. A longer, healthier, and more energetic life, will be the reward.

Recommendation: We eat, on average, 21 meals per week. Try purposefully eating 18 of them. Put a little effort into creating or buying, if you must, 18 healthy meals. These meals should contain real ingredients. Nothing from a box, can, or package. They shouldn’t contain processed meat or cheese. Lastly, they shouldn’t contain fountain drinks like Coke or Pepsi. With that done, let the other 3be, what I call “free meals.” Basically, do whatever you want – if that’s what you want. You will not undo 18 healthy meals with these 3 free meals.

As always, if you would like my help with any of your health care or nutritional needs, you know where to find me.

The Friday Five

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As always, please send me your questions, requests, and suggestions to my e-mail or Twitter. Which topic or subject should I write on next? What do you want more or less of? Let me know! Just send a tweet to @advancedhealing and put #TheFriday5 so I can find it or just e-mail me at support@digestioncoach.com.

Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful weekend.

Dr. Ettinger