6 Foundation Principles for Health

When I first started going to the gym it was all about gaining muscle so I could look good with my top off. I barely trained legs, I did chest and bicep workouts far too often. My diet was made up of egg white sandwiches made in the microwave and chicken that I cut the skin off. From the outside I looked pretty good but on the inside I was dying. I had gut issues, constant niggles and pains from training and I was tired all the time. The more I pushed with this lifestyle the worse I felt. Fast forward a couple of years and I was introduced to the work of Paul Chek.

For those that don’t know, Paul Chek has been an exercise coach for over 30 years. If you have ever seen a swiss ball in a gym it’s because of him. He brought those balls from the physio world into mainstream gyms.

Paul is a world renowned expert and a pioneer in holistic health and fitness education. He has trained everyone from the Chicago Bulls to world famous skateboarder Danny Way. 

Paul opened my eyes to fitness and health being more than just looking good on the outside. Both Krystie and I spent years studying his work. Muscle workouts became movement patterns, my egg white sandwiches became organic, pasture raised whole egg omelettes with raw cheese and sauerkraut. My whole diet changed from just trying to get protein, into real organic food from animals and plants that were raised with love. Krystie and I invested into quality water filters, cast iron cookware. We brought an organic bed and mattress. We invested in organic, all natural toiletries, cosmetics and so much more.

(Side note: Paul is 63 years old)

Krystie and I spent time learning to breathe and meditate. We took our shoes off and grounded and started making kombucha before kombucha was even a thing. 

The result of all of these changes was more than dramatic. I can honestly say hand on heart that this shift from simply trying to look good on the outside to actually feeling good on the inside was transformational. 

So with all this said I wanted to introduce you to the 6 foundation principles for health  that Paul shared with us.

 

1 – Thoughts 

You are a reflection of what your mind perceives.

Thoughts lead to actions. Everything that you do will begin with a thought and every action that stems from your thoughts are going to be either positive or negative. Positive thinking and self-awareness shape your overall well-being. Negative thoughts, stress, and unresolved emotional issues can manifest as physical ailments. 

Spending time cultivating mindfulness and healthy mental habits is foundational to achieving and maintaining wellness.

2 – Breathing 

It’s the first thing we do as we enter the world and we breathe around 20000-23000 times per day. This equates to around 14-16 breaths per minute 

Breathing techniques have been used for thousands of years in practices such as yoga, tai chi, chi gong and meditation to help heal and improve health. Breathing oxygenates the body, reduces stress, and supports mental clarity. 

The real magic is in deep, diaphragmatic breathing which promotes relaxation, increases energy, and enhances body functions like digestion and detoxification.

Try ‘box breathing’ for yourself..

  • Inhale through your nose and into your belly then chest for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, and slowly exhale out through your nose for 4 seconds – repeat.

3 – Hydration 

  • Our brain and our heart are composed of around 75% water 
  • Our lungs are around 83% water 
  • Our skin contains 64% water 
  • Our muscles and kidneys 79% water 
  • And our bones are around 31% water 

We are water and we need to replenish our water daily. 

Stay hydrated to support bodily functions such as metabolism, circulation, and detoxification

All water is not created equal 

Tap water and most bottled waters contain toxic chemicals, Chlorine and Fluoride being the main culprits. Chlorine is added to kill germs and bugs but it will also kill the good bacteria in our guts which can put our immune system at risk as the majority of our immune system is governed by our gut health. Chlorine is also a known carcinogen which has been shown to cause cancer.

Consider getting clean purified water. Using a filter such as a reverse osmosis will remove the heavy metals and toxins. Once the water has been filtered it will require remineralisation. This can be achieved with a pinch of Celtic sea salt. Another option is bottled water ideally in glass from artesian sources. 

We personally have a house filter for heavy metals such as mercury, PCB’s, chlorine, lead, arsenic and dioxin.

I am often asked what I use to filter out fluoride. Currently we don’t have a reverse osmosis so we use this for our drinking water

4 – Nutrition 

The key is eating whole, nutrient dense foods tailored to your needs. Good nutrition supports energy levels, the body’s repair, disease prevention and so much more. 

Hippocrates, the father of medicine, taught us that food and water are our first medicines. A timeless wisdom that highlights the profound relationship between who we are and what we eat. 

Let’s embrace nourishment and healing through a balanced diet 

Consider … 

  • At a basic level simply switch out processed foods for real whole foods 
  • Find out what your ancestral food type is. Maybe you’re a polar type, maybe you’re a equatorial type or maybe you’re mixed (feel free to email me at fitnesscamp@hotmail.com for more info) 
  • Respect, honour and love your food. Without it you wouldn’t be alive

5 – Movement 

Your body is like a system of pumps, pumping blood, oxygen, nutrients, food and waste around the body and requires movement to function properly. Movement also stimulates the nervous system and musculoskeletal system which will improve strength, fitness, energy, bone density, circulation and digestion.

But movement goes far beyond fitness and strength… 

“Movement is the only way you have of affecting the world around you. “The body will become better at whatever you do, or don’t do. If you don’t move, your body will make you better at not moving. If you move, your body will allow more movement.

Yoga, pilates, lifting weights… it’s all just movement.

 6 – Sleep 

We all have 24 hours each day of which ⅔ of this time we spend awake. The average adult spends less than 7 hours each night sleeping. Studies show that less than 7 hours on a regular basis often leads to poor health outcomes.

During sleep our entire body enters a state of deep regeneration for both mind and body. Our body is in sync with the sun and moon cycles and releases different hormones accordingly to help us sleep or wake us up. The majority of our physical recovery happens during our deep sleep cycles between the hours of 9pm and 2am and the majority of our physiological repair happens during our REM sleep between 2am and 6am. 

Consider… 

  • Do your best to go to bed early. The hours before 12 are the most important for recovery
  • Have a nighttime routine. Turn the screens off at least 1-2 hours before bed. Light some candles, listen to some relaxing music and do some gentle breathing exercises to calm your nervous system 
  • Make your room a cave. Invest in some blackout windows, turn the internet off, no phones in the bedroom.