Good evening and welcome to tonight's match, which promises to be a classic in every sense of the word. In the blue corner, known best for exercise and nutrition, is Health!… And in the red corner, known best for the mind, body, and spirit, is Wellness! And tonight's prize? Learning how to lose weight and keep it off!
LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!
Round 1: The Difference
We all want to live happy and fulfilled lives, which usually consist of getting to and staying at a healthy weight. Getting there is a challenge within itself, and maintaining presents a whole new set of challenges. Understanding the dynamic between health and wellness is what is critical in substantial and sustainable weight loss.
While they may seem like the same thing, and the properties are intertwined, there is a difference between health and wellness. The significant difference between them is that wellness is an active method of attaining an objective, where the objective is health. In other words, health is something you can attain. In comparison, wellness is a multi-dimensional concept that persists for life.
The principal elements of health include a person's particular traits and behaviors and social and physical environments. Physical, emotional, social, intellectual, environmental, financial, occupational, and spiritual wellness (we will take a deeper look at these areas in my next post) are the eight different components that encompass wellness.
When it comes to healthcare, there is also a difference between health and wellness. Health in healthcare is typically more concerned with the treatment of diseases. In contrast, wellness in healthcare deals with boosting the immune system and sustaining good balance in the body and mind.
It is necessary to recognize that it is possible to be healthy without being well, just as you can have a disease or health condition, and practice wellness. Meaning you can have one, but not the other. It is essential to know the difference between health and wellness so you can actively work to achieve both.
Round 2: Importance of Health
Health has come a long way since being defined as merely the absence of disease. More modern definitions have included mental and social aspects and the traditional physical presentation described as health. The World Health Organization (WHO) expresses health as a state of total physical, mental, and social well-being, not simply the lack of disease or disability.
Focus is typically on exercise, nutrition, and general self-care practices to establish health. Focusing on these areas makes it possible to lose weight and reduce the risks of major chronic disorders such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. Unfortunately, there are some aspects of health you have no control over. Genetic predispositions for diseases or a traumatic brain injury are a couple of examples of how your health status can be beyond your control.
Our health is essential to our overall happiness. A number of factors can improve health. Some common ways to improve health include reducing body fat, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, consuming wholesome foods, avoiding harmful foods, keeping normal blood pressure, getting adequate sleep each night, avoiding smoking and other toxic substances.
Round 3: Importance of Wellness
Because wellness is such a dynamic concept, it is not as quickly defined as health. WHO defines wellness as the optimum state of health imperative to experience a satisfying life. The National Wellness Institute describes wellness as an active process through which people become mindful of, and make choices towards, a more successful existence.
Wellness is a deliberate, self-directed, and progressive means of achieving maximum potential. It is multi-dimensional and holistic, encompassing lifestyle, mental and spiritual well-being, and the environment. Actual wellness is not a state we achieve but instead an equilibrium we try to maintain.
When it comes to wellness, you decide to eat a balanced diet, exercise more often, and be more mindful. Without making the conscious decision to participate in those wellness practices, sustained weight loss is nearly impossible. Wellness is linked to living a healthy lifestyle and reaching your full potential.
Round 4: Health and Wellness Together
While it is possible to have health without wellness and wellness without health, it is best when you have both, and they work synergistically together. When your life is fulfilled by good health AND maintaining wellness practices, it is much more likely that you will achieve and sustain goals such as weight loss.
Optimal health stems from wellness, from making choices and performing actions based on practical health information and awareness. In other words, wellness has a direct impact on overall health, which is vital for living a healthy, joyful, and satisfying life.
Don't take your health for granted. You can use your health to improve your wellness when the two are working together. Exercising and eating proper nutrition can provide a huge mental and emotional boost! Wellness practices such as meditation can not only improve your health but also help you sustain it. Meditation has been shown to lower your blood pressure and reduce pain and improve self-awareness and increase your willpower.
Final Round: The Winner Is?
Proper health incorporates being well. True wellness is a positive approach to living combined with the optimal state of health. While we cannot always decide the state of our health, we can make active and conscious decisions towards wellness.
Establishing balance and working towards realistic health and wellness goals will lead you to a breakthrough. You can set a target weight loss and health goal; however, sustainability depends on the conscious choices made when it comes to all the different elements of wellness.
Both health and wellness are essential for lasting weight loss and the fulfillment of your life. You have control over many aspects of your health, and wellness is always a choice. If you are ready to lose weight and keep it off, these tips can help you get started improving both your health and wellness:
Hire a Coach
One of the best tips I can give anyone looking to improve their health or wellness is to hire a coach. The right coach can help you reach new heights you never thought were possible. A health and wellness coach can provide the experience, knowledge, and support you have missed for sustainable results.
As a Certified Master Health and Wellness Coach, I assist clients in setting goals, overcoming challenges, and achieving their health and wellness goals. Together we can work on exercise, holistic nutrition, sleep hygiene, hydration, self-control, mindfulness, and motivation. We will also dive into some lifestyle adjustments and social, spiritual, and emotional wellness to take a holistic approach to improve health and wellness, resulting in the most fulfilling life.
Eat Holistically
Proper nutrition, of course, reduces the risk of many diseases. A Holistic diet can also increase your energy level, improve mental clarity and sleep, help you keep a healthy weight, improve skin health, and even boost your immune system.
Hippie Healing offers holistic nutrition coaching as a way to ensure you are supplying your body with the nutrition it needs. Our personalized plan will provide balanced meals with adequate protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fat, and fiber to give your unique body the nutrients required for optimal health and wellness. Hippie Healing can even specialize your plan to manage certain health conditions such as diabetes.
Exercise Consistently
Exercise promotes a healthy mind and body, both critical for losing weight and keeping it off. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week. Be sure to do a little bit every day, and you will get your minutes in. It does not have to be the same activity. Feel free to add some variety!
There are ways to break away from the monotony of structured workout regimens if that's not your thing. Hippie Healing's health coaching offers a personalized exercise plan in addition to nutrition coaching to help you find an exercise routine you can stick to and actually enjoy. All activity levels are welcome as each program is individually tailored for you and your goals.
Don't Skip the Mental Exercises
Your mental health impacts how you think, feel, and act, in addition to your ability to relate to others, make choices, and handle stress. Mental exercises can help you accomplish your goals more efficiently and enhance brain power. Daily mental exercises help support intellectual wellness, whereas learning a new skill or other physical and psychological activity combinations can help foster a healthier mindset about weight loss.
Wellness coaching offered by Hippie Healing is a great way to support your mental well-being. Our wellness coaching combines the physical aspect of wellness from our nutrition and exercise programs with the seven additional elements of wellness. The mental exercises and support you will gain are sure to have you on your goal weight.
Get Out in Nature
Nature keeps us happier and healthier. There are so many benefits to being in nature. Aside from getting some much-needed vitamin D, going outside can improve your physical well-being by reducing muscle tension, heart rate, and blood pressure. Spending just thirty minutes in nature can reduce your stress level, increase your energy level, and improve your mood. Those are the kind of benefits that will help you enjoy your weight loss journey. Oh, and did I mention it's free! Why not give it a try?
Start Journaling
Developing positive health and wellness habits and identifying the practices that do not serve you is key to reaching your weight loss goals. Start journaling what you are eating, your physical activity, and how you are feeling. Journaling helps you be mindful of everything you are doing, but it also brings awareness to habits and triggers that could derail your success.
Love the Journey and Yourself
Every new day will present you with choices regarding what's best to reach and ultimately sustain your peak health and wellness and preserve the balance. No journey is going to be perfect, but remember, wellness is positive and affirming. So, don't get down on yourself and love every step of the journey.
Don't get overwhelmed with trying to fix everything by tomorrow. Instead, take on small tasks, make adjustments as needed, surround yourself with positive people, love yourself no matter what, and enjoy the journey to reaching your goals, true wellness, and life satisfaction!