Wellness is defined by Merriam-Webster as “the quality or state of being in good health”. Good health is a quality that is important to the way we work, the way we play, and most importantly, the way we live. Wellness is the key to living a happy life and should be a priority for anyone wishing to live happily and healthily for the rest of their years.

Diet + Nutrition

A proper diet and quality nutrition are key to living a life of wellness. Your body is the vessel that houses your existence as a human being, so you should treat it well. Eating a balanced diet with plenty of organic and unprocessed foods is a great start. The less processed the food the better. Additionally, many people forget about micronutrition which is just as important as “macronutrition” (i.e. food). A great and easy way to meet this criterion is to take a high-quality multivitamin every day. Multivitamins check all the boxes of your daily micronutrient checklist, so you don’t have to worry about getting all the necessary micronutrients through food alone. It’s just one more thing that you don’t have to think about, so really, there’s no reason not to.

Exercise

Exercise is another crucial tenet of living a happy and healthy life. Exercise keeps our bodies strong and prevents them from degrading as quickly while we age. As the old saying goes, “use it or lose it”. This doesn’t mean you have to go mountain biking or heliskiing by any means. A simple walk or jog around the neighborhood once a day can do wonders for your mood and overall health. It can be as mellow or intense as you want it to be. The key to maintaining a healthy exercise regimen is finding something that you truly enjoy doing. There are so many different sports and forms of exercise that are out there. All you need to do is find one that fits your interests and lifestyle. So, get out there, find one you like, and get your sweat on!

Stress

Okay, this one may be a bit of a no-brainer, but it’s too important not to say! Stress plays a huge role in decreasing our overall wellness, both physically and mentally. Stress causes our bodies to produce a hormone known as cortisol. In small quantities cortisol is good. It is actually required by our bodies to function normally. However, produce too much and your body will begin experiencing a lot of unpleasant physical side effects. This is why we “feel” stressed … because we actually do feel it! There are many ways of countering stress. The rather obvious best-case scenario is to remove the stressor, but oftentimes it is not really that simple. There are plenty of other remedies that can help with managing stress. For example, meditation, exercise, and certain health supplements are just a few great and easy strategies to help you get your stress under control.

Gut Health

Over the last decade, we have had some fascinating breakthroughs on the important role that our gut health plays in keeping us healthy. The gut isn’t just a pit full of acid that breaks down food. It is actually filled with billions of bacteria that help your body to function. These bacteria can assist the body in everything from digestion to immune system support and even brain function. Since all these bacteria are living things, it is important to take care of them. One way to do this is by eating less processed food. Processed food changes the makeup of your gut bacteria and leads to inflammation. Both of these are not good for the body. Luckily, you can replenish your healthy gut flora by eating fermented foods. Fermented foods include foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, kefir, and Greek yogurt. They are filled with billions of bacteria that work amazingly for improving gut health. As a personal aside, I’d highly recommend trying GTS’s Lavender Kombucha if you’re looking for a place to start (seriously, just go try it).

Prevention

Prevention is a crucial part of maintaining your wellness. This means getting ahead of the curve so that your actions today don’t negatively impact your wellness tomorrow. One important part of prevention is having a solid health and wellness regimen: These tips are a great start to that. Another important part of prevention is having a doctor that you can count on. Here at The Mills Institute, we offer both. The Mills Institute offers primary functional care services to help you get healthy and stay healthy. We get to know you and your lifestyle so we can give you the best recommendations possible and keep you living happy and healthy for years to come.

So, what are you waiting for? Sign up today at our Patient Portal so we can help you get started with living a life of wellness.

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