Mastering the Art of Wellness: Building Wellness into an Essential Skill

Wellness is something we can LEARN! Think about that a minute...

Wait...WHAT??? Who knew!!!

I was never taught about "wellness" even as a nurse, with 27 years of experience. Wellness wasn't a topic we covered in nursing school lectures. We learned about how the body functions. You know, anatomy and physiology, how the body is supposed to work. Then we were taught about a number of common disease processes and how to treat those diseases, including the medications commonly prescribed for treatment. Very little time in medical education is spent on disease PREVENTION, if any!

Think about health expectations as you age. Most might think it is normal to have high blood pressure as you hit your 50s...you're old, right? I'm here to tell you, it is NOT! Some may say high cholesterol is natural as you age. Again, it is NOT! Your weight will creep up as you age...well sure, if you let your muscle mass slip from sitting around doing nothing, sure...of course it will!

I recall a recent conversation with a friend, and we were talking about her lab results. She was expressing concerns about her liver function studies and stated, "I don't even know where my liver is!" That statement got me thinking about the average "education" around basic anatomy and body functions.

If you aren't interested in learning about how your body should function and CAN function when you take care of it, you might never know your level of potential. Where can you go if you learn and DO IT!

I am here to tell you, you can learn at any age, and you can make strides at any age, even at 90! But are you willing to learn a new skill? Are you willing to invest time to dive into the research and learn about opportunities for health and wellness? Every year, I attend a functional medicine conference and each time I walk away thinking how LITTLE I do know, even though I have been studying health and wellness for years.

Doctors don't take a course in medical school called "Wellness," but I think they should! There is so much for us to learn about improving our wellness, but in my functional medicine coaching, I simplify the focus on 5 key elements:

1. Quality nutrition because food is medicine!

2. Consistency with quality sleep because that is when the body is able to heal and rebuild.

3. Movement because although I think strength training is the most important aspect, balance and mobility can't be maintained on strength training alone.

4. Connection because if you look at the research on longevity, those who live in those blue zones have only one thing in common and that is connection to a greater purpose.

5. Stress reduction because cortisol kills and an elevated cortisol level is what led me to functional medicine!

Are you interested in learning more about your individual health and wellness? I would love to take a journey learning together!