What is comprehensive health and how can we improve it with simple and effective habits?
A comprehensive state of health relates to a holistic concept of health. For example, being able to live in harmony with your environment without it posing risk factors to you, and having your daily life contribute to a state of complete physical and mental well-being.
In recent years, this may have been somewhat compromised, as the lack of physical activity during quarantine could have led us to a sedentary lifestyle. However, this also broadened our concept of a healthy lifestyle, as the pandemic raised awareness of an important point: immediate medical attention was necessary not only for COVID-19 or other illnesses, but prevention in various areas of life also became highly relevant.
And this is where the definition of comprehensive health begins: in prevention and in addressing health problems at their root. In this article, we explain the comprehensive health approach from NutriWhite’s perspective.
What is comprehensive health?
As defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), comprehensive health is not just the absence of disease, but refers to an optimal state of well-being that encompasses all aspects of a person’s life: physical, mental, emotional, and social.
It’s about maintaining a healthy balance in all these areas to promote a full and satisfying life.
It’s a dynamic and personal process that requires awareness, responsibility, and commitment. Instead of treating each health issue in isolation, comprehensive health views the person as an interconnected whole.
Additionally, from the perspective of integrative medicine and immunonutrition, the goal is to address the root cause of a symptom or illness, not just to eliminate it, but to prevent it from recurring.
What are the components of comprehensive health?
Physical health
This refers to the general state of the body and its ability to function optimally. Maintaining good physical health requires an anti-inflammatory diet, regular physical activity, sufficient rest, proper personal hygiene, among other things.
Mental or emotional health
This refers to our psychological and emotional state. It involves the ability to manage stress, maintain healthy relationships, regulate emotions appropriately, and have a positive self-esteem.
Social health
This refers to our ability to interact and relate satisfactorily with others. Social health includes the ability to establish and maintain meaningful connections with people in our daily lives, participate in the community, set boundaries and maintain balanced relationships, and promote equality and inclusion.
Spiritual health
This involves the human sense of purpose and meaning in life. It includes the pursuit of personal values and beliefs, connection with something greater than oneself, the practice of gratitude, finding inner peace, living in accordance with personal values, and cultivating a sense of well-being and fulfillment.
Environmental health
This refers to the physical environment in which we live and work. It includes our relationship with the environment: exposure to pollutants, air and water quality, safety in our surroundings, sustainability, and connection with nature.
Why is it important to care for comprehensive health?
Caring for our health in a comprehensive way is important because we are a whole. Here are some reasons:
Overall well-being
It encompasses all dimensions of a person: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social. By maintaining each of these aspects in balance, one experiences a general state of well-being and improved quality of life.
Disease prevention
By taking care of the body through healthy eating, regular exercise, and adequate rest, the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity is reduced. It also decreases the likelihood of developing disorders such as depression or anxiety.
Greater resilience and stress management
Caring for mental and overall health helps manage anxiety levels and face difficulties with a more positive and constructive mindset.
Better relationships and social well-being
It helps develop communication skills and provides a sense of belonging and connection, which improves quality of life.
How to improve comprehensive health?
Some basic recommendations to improve comprehensive health include:
- Exercise: Find a physical activity you enjoy and can do several times a week.
- Sleep well: Create a sleep routine to help you rest better. Disconnect, eat early, and engage in physical activity no later than three hours before bedtime.
- Manage stress: Your immunonutrition is key for this, as well as activities that help activate your vagus nerve.
- Care for mental health: In addition to meditating and attending therapy, we recommend eliminating foods that harm your mental health, such as ultra-processed foods.
But there is one recommendation we want to emphasize in this article, which is the foundation of all others: your immunonutrition.
When caring for your diet, consider your gut health, not just what you eat, but how you eat, how you digest and absorb, and how you eliminate.
This is key to supporting your comprehensive health, allowing you to have more energy and a better mood, which is closely related to your gut microbiota or "third brain" and your vagus nerve.
You will be able to explore all of this in detail with the support of your NutriWhite Ambassadors during your personalized online consultation and adjust your 3R Protocol according to your condition, lifestyle, and preferences.
Keep reading:
References:
- 1. Suyan Lia, Jian Lva, Jianguo Lib, Zhaolong Zhaoa, Hui Guob, Yanni Zhanga, Shichao Chenga, Jianbin Suna, Hongming Panb, Shaopeng Fana, Zhongxin Lia (2018). Intestinal microbiota impact sepsis associated encephalopathy via the vagus nerve.
- 2. Datis Kharrazian, DC, DHSc. The Role of Traumatic Brain Injury on the Gut-Brain Axis
NutriWhite Editorial Team
