Health and wellness are not difficult to achieve and maintain, but they don’t happen overnight. With all the diet and exercise fads out there, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But staying healthy isn’t out of reach if you think of health as having three pillars: structure, nutrition, and emotions. Let’s focus on the structure of health.
What Does It Mean To Be Healthy?
Health is more than the absence of pain or disease. That’s like saying happiness is just not being sad. Health doesn’t come from settling for a mediocre state.
To be healthy, you need balance. Structure, nutrition, and emotions are all interconnected. Emotions can show up in your posture. Nutritional imbalances can affect your mood. Structural issues can trigger anxiety. We hear these things often, yet most people focus on one area and ignore the others. That’s where they fall short.
Healthy Eating Tips
It seems like there’s a new diet trend every month. Keto is great one week, then not so much the next. The truth? No two people are exactly alike. What works wonders for one person might not help another.
So how do you figure out what works for you? Let’s go back in time. Before globalization, people ate what was available in their local environment. If someone couldn’t tolerate local food, they wouldn’t survive to pass on their genes.
The problem began when food from all over the world became accessible. Suddenly, someone in Europe is eating soy, or someone in the Middle East is introduced to avocado. These new foods can lead to sensitivities and unexplained weight gain—even when eating “healthy.”
That’s where Metabolic Typing comes in. It identifies the ideal fuel for your specific body type based on your biochemistry. You answer detailed questions—27 pages of them—to uncover how your body processes food. It’s not a blood test. It’s a strategic way to discover what your body needs. Think of it like figuring out whether your car needs diesel, regular, or premium fuel.
The Healthiest Investment You Can Make
The best definitions of health often come from the sickest patients. They know its true value. If you think staying healthy is expensive, just wait until you get sick.
What we call healthcare is really sick care. True healthcare is about preventing disease before it starts. That requires understanding some basics about your body.
Your brain and nervous system are the master control system. The brain sends commands through the spinal cord to every cell in your body. If that communication is disrupted, dysfunction and disease follow.
Health is about movement—but not just any movement. Functional movement matters. Just getting from point A to B doesn’t mean your body is moving correctly. In the past, back pain meant bed rest. Chiropractors pushed for movement and were ridiculed. Now we know they were right.
How to be Healthy Without Going to the Gym
You don’t need a gym membership to be healthy. In fact, bad form in the gym leads many people straight to my office. But don’t confuse skipping the gym with being sedentary.
Functional movement is key. Unfortunately, most people move dysfunctionally. Watch this video:
If you slouch all day, your shoulder joints shift out of alignment. Add weights in the gym, and you risk injury. That’s why frozen shoulders and rotator cuff tears are so common.
That’s also why I recommend Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS). DNS is based on how babies develop movement—from rolling over to walking. Most adults use their bodies incorrectly. DNS retrains you to move the way you were designed to.
You can apply DNS to everyday life. Sitting and standing with proper form conditions your legs and stabilizes your torso. Explore this Functional Movement Playlist to learn more
Life Starts With Breathing, So Does Health
Proper breathing is the foundation of all movement. Babies do it naturally. It’s called biological breathing. Here are signs you’re breathing incorrectly:
- Your shoulders rise and fall
- Your stomach pulls in on inhale
- Your neck muscles help you breathe
- You breathe through your mouth
Watch this video to understand proper breathing:
Incorrect breathing reduces oxygen delivery, affects hormone balance, and increases neck tension. It also compromises torso stability and compresses your organs.
When you breathe biologically, your three diaphragms—vocal, abdominal, and pelvic—work together. This creates internal pressure that supports organ movement and lymphatic drainage. Practice with this Breathing Exercise video.
Health Tips for Working from Home
Working from home often means sitting for long hours. Poor ergonomics can cause pain and long-term damage. Make adjustments now to protect yourself.
Check out my Ergonomics YouTube Playlist and the blog “Ergonomics and Pain” for simple, effective tips.
In the end, health is a process, not an event. It takes time, intention, and consistency. Make the choice to live healthier. Surround yourself with people and habits that support that decision. Use the resources available to you and take the first step. For help with everything movement and posture related be sure to contact me.
Dr. Shakib
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