Article

6 Ways to Transform Yourself

6 Ways to Transform Yourself

  1. Sleep

  2. Drink More Water

  3. Eat for Your Metabolic Type

  4. Think Positively

  5. Movement

  6. Breathe

 

The 6 Foundational Principles coined by world-renowned health professional Paul Chek helps simplify what is necessary to live a healthy life. These are sleeping, hydration, eating, thinking, moving, and breathing. In this article, we explore the benefits of following these principles and how they are necessary for one's own spiritual, mental, and physical evolution. 

When we start our journey of change, we think we need to do everything all at once. We get inspired to transform ourselves by doing everything right for one day. Only to fall back into our habitual negative patterns. If we want to lose weight, find the nearest fit body boot camp and do HIIT 7 days a week. To improve our minds or feel better, we either self-medicate or get prescribed drugs. When we diet, we look to magazines and celebrities to see what the latest craze is. We're taught that only the external world can help us feel better, look better, and live healthier. When in reality, everything we need is on the inside. We just need to build the foundation to support our spiritual, mental, and physical growth.   

Sleep is one of the most critical factors for your health. Just think about when you were in a bad mood or didn't feel too good. Prolonged periods of lack of sleep can lead to anxiety, depression, weight gain, and even disrupt immune dysfunction. So, how much sleep do we need, and when do we need to sleep? As a general recommendation, it is best to follow our natural circadian rhythm (wake and sleep with the sunrise and sunset) because our stress hormones are aligned with the rise and fall of the sun (1) The rule of thumb for the number of hours is typically between 7-8 for most adults (2).

Drink water, that's it. If that's all I wrote, you pretty much would be set for life, but like most things when we go deeper into truth, we find things can become a little bit more complicated. The topic of water is simple in its nature, we need it to survive. We are quite literally 65-75 percent water. Water plays a vital role in our cognitive function, homeostasis, kidney, and heart functions (3).

So, is all water the same, and how much do we need? The answer is no, all water is not the same. Due to farming and industrialism, our water sources have pretty much been decimated by industrialism. Most of us feel safe because our tap water is filtered. Unfortunately, that's not the case for our tap water to be truly safe would need testing for potential chemicals and heavy metals. Then finding another company that has filters specifically for what your water is tested for. For myself, I opted to have spring water delivered to my house.

  1. Artesian Water/

  2. Spring Water

  3. Advanced Filtration

What is a metabolic typing diet? The metabolic typing diet is based on the theory of Weston A. Price, a dentist who traveled the world and explored the teeth of native cultures. He found that the native people who ate foods ingenious to their region didn't have any of the ailments we see today with modern dentistry. Cavities, overbites, underbites, and many of our western diseases were irrelevant. Yet the native cultures who ate the typical western diet began to develop the same ailments. Why is that? Well, our bodies have adapted to what our ancestors ate. Is this the primal diet? Not quite, but the metabolic diet typing incorporates the totality of these singled out and sold as one size fits all diet plants for people. The truth is some people fair better on higher protein and higher fat. While some do better on higher carbs and lower protein and fat. Metabolic typing respectively categorizes people into three different categories protein type, carb type, or mixed type. Based on these, you may fall into one of these categories.

How does thinking to affect your health? Well, there is a simple format for that thoughts turn into words, words turn into actions, actions turn into habits, and your habits determine your destiny. According to Dr. Lou of Meteor Education, negative thinking impacts our brains' ability to coordinate, be creative, and affect our mood. While positive thinking increases mental productivity, analysis, and solving problems. If you were anything like me, I bet you're telling yourself I can't control my mind. Truthfully, there will never be a day when everything is perfect. However, we have tools that help us manage our accounts like meditation, walking, sitting, moving, tai chi, hiking, exercising, daily affirmations, and many more. Day by day, you get better. Your awareness increases, and like a character in a video game, you can choose your journey, positivity or negativity.

Exercising, like nutrition, is entirely individual. It's best to figure out what your goal or objective is, so you have mini targets along the way. If you are primarily training for aesthetics, bodybuilding or hypertrophy training might be your thing. If you just want to be stronger and lift weights, powerlifting may be the sport for you. What sport you play and your position can drastically affect the needs of your training. For sports-specific training, you will have to look at what muscles and movements are primarily used. Want to learn how to defend yourself martial arts like Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu are really great activities. If you wish to live a healthier life, yoga, walking, and tai chi are great places to start. Exercise should be fun and something you enjoy doing. For me, I love to lift weights, walk, hike, train Jiu-jitsu, and on occasion, go for a run. 

Breathing, I saved the best for last because without it you would be dead! We need to breathe oxygen, which helps with energy production. The best place to start with breathing is just to practice deep diaphragmatic breaths. You should practice deep breathing throughout the day. In one Japanese study, it was found that it took 6 deep breaths to create a state change. They are breathing exercises like the Wim Hof method, Tantric breathing, and alternate nostril breathing. Just like everything else in life, there are many ways to do it. I suggest experimenting and figuring out what works for you.

While transformation is a lifelong process, we will always be a work in progress. We are the artist of our own lives. Like a sculptor who shapes marble into an art, our choices chisel our destiny. We are never far away from breakthrough transformation. While these 6 foundational principles won't be the end of your journey, these will be the foundation to all your future mental, physical, and spiritual evolutions. I wish you great healing and hope you can achieve your dream along the way. 

Sources

  1. Chek, P. (2018). How to eat, move and be healthy: your personalized 4-step guide to looking and feeling great from the inside out. San Diego, CA: C.H.E.K. Institute.

  2. Hirshkowitz, M., Whiton, K., & Albert, S. M. (2015, January 15). National Sleep Foundation’s sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Retrieved from https://www.sleephealthjournal.org/article/S2352-7218(15)00015-7/fulltext

  3. Popkin, B. M., D'Anci, K. E., & Rosenberg, I. H. (2010, August). Water, hydration, and health. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908954/?report=classic

  4. (2018, May 3). How does Thinking Positive Thoughts Affect Neuroplasticity? Retrieved from https://meteoreducation.com/how-does-thinking-positive-thoughts-affect-neuroplasticity/

  5. Wolcott, W. L., & Fahey, T. (2014). The metabolic typing diet: customize your diet for permanent weight loss, optimum health, preventing and reversing disease, staying young at any age. New York: Harmony Books.