Fundamentals of Health

Have you already tried multiple different health protocols yet have not reached your optimal health goals?  Do you feel that your overall health and wellness is in a positive state, yet would love to optimize your health on every level?  Are you confused as to the best starting point for your journey toward optimal health?  If you answered yes to any of these questions then please read on.

There are many individuals within our culture that are using health protocols yet ignoring their basic fundamentals of health.  I typically use an analogy of building a house as compared to building your health.  Understanding that you have fundamentals to build a house such as bricks, lumber, dry wall, nails, roofing and such is very well known.  What is not as equally well known though is our own fundamentals needed to reach your health goals.  Here is a list of these simple yet often misunderstood factors as listed in matter of importance.

Number one is the air we breathe and with this I am suggesting the amount of oxygen that is supplied to the cells of our body.  Did you know that when you take a breath of air, approximately one quart of your blood is exposed to the oxygen in that breath, and that it takes only a matter of moments for this quart of blood to be dispersed throughout your body, to oxygenate the cells of your body?  With this in mind, ask yourself if you take short shallow breaths throughout your day, or do you regularly take very deep belly breaths.  If your breath is restricted then you can be rest assured that you are suppressing your number one fundamental of health.

After air, water is then the most important.  Approximately 70% of your body is water and due to the regular use of cooked food this creates a heightened importance on the water we drink.  A good rule of thumb is approximately one quart of water per every 50 pounds of body weight on a daily basis.  Most clients that I have worked with are reaching only half of this goal regularly.

Nutrition would come next in my opinion and I will share the words of Hippocrates from some 2,600 years ago, “One man’s food is another man’s poison”.  I feel that these words are just a prevalent today as they were when Hippocrates originally shared this statement.  We are all bio-chemically individuals and need to look at nutrition accordingly.  I truly feel that there is no “one size fits all” meal plan.  Please click on the Nutritional ID link provided on this website for more information.

After our food, the importance of sleep must be addressed.  Recognizing that when we sleep our body does most of its maintenance and repair, which helps to understand the importance of this fundamental..  It is essential that we not only get adequate sleep, about 8 hours per day, but also sleeping at optimal times is also very important.  It will also be important to keep your sleep habits as close to the natural sun exposure is important, while also paying attention to seasonal changes.

Movement would be next and by this I do not mean to do a 1 hour spin class, followed by a 2 mile run and finished off with 30 minutes of weight training.  I am simply talking about moving.  Please understand that we are designed to move and if you are commuting hours per day and sitting at a desk for another 8 hours it will be very important to balance this movement in order to achieve your health goals.  Find what it is that you enjoy which will incorporate movement and be sure to move daily.

Last is your exposure to the sun.  While we have been told for the past 30 plus years; stay out of the sun, cover up and never go out without sun screen, we still need to understand that this sun exposure is an essential nutrient to the body.  As with any other factor though, it is imperative to pay attention to your individuality.  If you have very pale skin you may only need 10-15 minutes of sun exposure per day to achieve your goals but if you have a darker complexion you may need a considerable longer amount of time in the sun to reap the same benefits.

These fundamentals build the house, but we all know what a house is built on top of…a foundation.  If you build a great big beautiful house on top of a cracked crumbled foundation, the house will still fall down.  The word I attach to this foundation is simply energy.  This energetic body is the basic foundation of all else within your body and must be balanced accordingly.  I find that the most significant challenge for this is suppressed emotions and honestly, who does not have some stress in their life right now.  To learn more about the energetic body click on the appropriate link provided on the left.

If you would like a more detailed version explaining the fundamentals of health in a very comprehensive matter, please visit the Depke Wellness Store for a DVD or download that may change your life.

Wellness for the World,
Glen Depke