Rest and recreation are important when pursuing holistic health and wellness; however, the R & R factor in nutritional science has nothing to do with taking a vacation. It has everything to do with maintaining your energy, so you can enjoy a vacation when it finally comes around. So what is the R & R factor?
It is one of the most important principles in natural healing - Removal & Replacement - the removal of harmful toxins to the body, while simultaneously replacing them with healthful nutrients, hydration, and a healthy environment. No matter how many fruits and vegetables you consume, if you smoke, drink too much alcohol, live next to a chemical plant, or cease to drink fresh water to hydrate, healing will not occur. The "holistic" approach addresses nutrition, hydration, fresh air, sunshine, exercise, rest & sleep, reduction of stress, and elimination of other unhealthy lifestyle habits simultaneously. When nutrition and lifestyle come into balance, our body systems achieve homeostasis (balance), and we are able to heal and regenerate, increase vitality, and improve quality of life.
What toxins need to be removed from our diets? The main culprits are processed foods, fast foods, and junk foods. Read ingredients. Any word that looks like a foreign language is likely a substance our bodies will read as a foreign invader; our immune systems may be alerted against the substance, or the body will not know how to digest and utilize the strange (altered) molecular structure of the foreign substance, which will put a burden on the liver and digestive system. Three causes of obesity in the typical American diet are MSGs (monosodium glutamates), high fructose corn syrup, and hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. These substances are toxic, highly acidic, and cause irritation and inflammation in our bodies. Chronic inflammation causes disease.
The second step to understanding what we are putting in our mouths is found on the nutrition fact labels on the food product. The most important facts to zero in on are fat, sugar, sodium, and fiber. Any food that has less than 3 grams of fiber is highly processed, and likely is loaded with additives, preservatives, chemicals, and other unnatural ingredients. Keep in mind that the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting total added sugars to 24 grams per day (about 6 teaspoons). That doesn't sound bad, since you only put 2 teaspoons of sugar in your coffee each morning; but, wait! What about that yogurt you had for breakfast that contained 32 grams of sugar?! Read nutrition fact labels! It is recommended we not consume more than 2,400 mg. of sodium per day. If you like V8 juice, a large can contains 900 mg. of sodium! Sodium is an important part of our diet; like anything else, we need to keep track of how much we consume daily to keep things balanced within healthy ratios. We even need some healthy fats each day; however, unless we have a predominantly plant-based diet, animal foods are loaded with fat, are hard to digest, and are highly acidic. If the processed foods in the grocery stores that provide a list of ingredients are harmful, imagine what you may be consuming at restaurants and fast food joints.
Clean whole foods nourish our bodies with needed nutrients, alkalinize our pH, provide healing phytochemicals, and do not burden our filtration systems with disease initiating food additives, i.e., preservatives, dyes, chemicals, added sugars, unhealthy oils, etc. Ideal health = ideal weight. When processed foods, fast foods, and junk foods are removed from the diet, and whole clean foods replace them, our body systems regenerate and healing occurs.
Okay, so you've removed toxins from your diet, you're eating more fruits and vegetables, and you are hydrating every day, and though you feel better, you are not healing - your symptomology is not going away. The next step is to address the following:
Sleep and rest - Are you getting the quality and quantity of sleep you need every night? Healing occurs while we sleep. Requirements vary between individuals and lifestyle needs; however, the standard 8 hours per night is still recommended. You will not achieve a healthy weight without adequate sleep.
Exercise - Physical activity, preferably outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine is crucial for healing. A sedentary lifestyle, lacking natural vitamin D3, and oxygenation, inhibits healing.
Reduction of Stress - There is an entire science called psychoneuroimmunology that addresses the disease factor in living a chronically stressful life. Simplify, balance work and play, pursue R & R (both references!), and lighten up.
Benevolence - This word specifically may mean different things for different individuals, but it's concept is universal - Go beyond yourself. Think of others. Get connected, and live a purposeful, meaningful life. Happiness also plays a crucial role in health.
So, how do we keep track of all these things and apply them simultaneously? Easy. Create a 10-day goal chart with 7 to 10 goals, one or two from each category that need to be addressed for your health. Gradually implement all goals. I've never had a client who pursued all goals simultaneously for 10 days that didn't get excited over the results. Imagine what 30 days will do! Remember the R & R factor. Remove the bad and replace it with the good at the same time! Choose to heal! The choice is yours! Please write me with any questions, comments, or input. I will be glad to help you on your journey.
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