Within the framework of our houses, various rooms make up the building we call home. The same is true for the structure of our health. Different factors contribute to our overall well-being and my doctor has given it the term- House of Health.  If our bodies are the temple of God, it makes sense to care for them like a holy dwelling place. Here are the six rooms in the House of Health:

1 – Sleep

Oh, how I covet sleep. Probably because I struggle in this area and yet it’s the most important aspect of how I feel and function in a day. It is the difference between having mental clarity or brain fog and it affects our joy, confidence, and mood. We tend to not overeat when we’ve had enough sleep and being well-rested is the greatest contributor to looking and feeling our very best.

2 – Diet

I know what you may be thinking, diet is a four-letter word, diets don’t work, and what diet works for you may not work for me. And there is truth to all of those thoughts! But the reality is the food we put into our bodies consistently does matter. If we are grazing on fruits and veggies and whole grains rather than processed, long-shelf-life foods, we are going to reap healthier results. We are what we eat.

3 – Exercise

My thoughts on exercise have changed as I have aged and moved into my mid-50s. Like sleep, exercise is a real brain and mood booster for me. If I’m sluggish or not sleeping well I know I need to get moving. Exercise doesn’t have to be a full-blown HIT workout but even a series of gentle stretches and core strengthening are excellent for blood flow and energy levels. Any type of movement contributes to an overall feeling of well-being.

4 – Stress

No one wants to enter these four walls, yet stress is a part of life. It’s what we do to manage the stress that can drastically affect our health. A stressful work environment can take its toll on our mental health and our physical wellness. Constantly being in fight-or-flight mode can change our hormone levels and contribute to adrenal fatigue. Stress may cause us to eat poorly or overuse alcohol. The more we can alleviate high-level tension and anxiety in our lives, the healthier we will be.

5 – Medical Condition

If you have a medical condition then you know what this space looks like for you. Whether it’s an auto-immune disease or another chronic illness, you have an added concern for your health. This is where all of the other rooms in your house need to be in sync so that the medical condition can be fought most effectively. Balancing sleep, diet, exercise, and stress with an illness may not be easy but necessary to stay in your best wellness state, whatever that looks like for you.

6 – Hormones

Often, we have an overlooked little nook in our house called hormones. For women, our hormones are the force that controls everything in our bodies! When our hormone levels change, it can affect our mood, our sleep, our metabolism, and our sex drive. Keeping our hormones balanced and in check can contribute to overall good health and wellness.

These six aspects make up our House of Health and we will be looking at different aspects of each of these in future wellness blog posts.

“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” 3 John 2