Les 12 Piliers de la Santé

The 12 Pillars of Health

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. » (The World Health Organization)

And yes, being healthy is not just “not being sick”.

It's so much more than that!

In our busy lives, certain aspects of health are sometimes put to the test during certain chapters of life such as unbalanced food when one is a penniless student, lack of sleep for young parents, lack of friends when you put your career before everything else.

But this is not inevitable.

Wherever you are on life's path, this 12-point list will help you take stock of your general health and help you identify areas for improvement.

To function well, diet, sleep and physical activity are essential, but you probably want a little more than just “functioning”.

This is why the other pillars of good health focus on our relationships with others and our aspirations.

These 12 pillars, very simple in appearance, are the foundation for a life full of health and positive vibes.

So, are you following us?

young woman in a ray of sunlight

 

1. Follow the sun

Living in nature’s “light-dark” rhythm allows you to best synchronize your circadian rhythm for optimal health.

We hear you whispering to us: “but it’s common sense”

And you are right, except that sometimes we forget it with the jolts of life.

If possible and as often as you can, go to bed around 10 p.m. and get up around 7 a.m., weekends included.

A night's sleep for adults should include 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Regularity is the key word.

Likewise, eat your meals at the same time every day for a good rate of digestion and elimination.

And limit the intake of food and drinks to a maximum period of 8 hours to 12 hours per day.

Expose yourself to daylight for at least 30 minutes a day to synchronize the brain's clock with the outside world. Beyond the benefit of getting out of the house, it also keeps depression and anxiety at bay.

In the evening, dim your indoor lighting 2 to 3 hours before going to bed to make it easier to fall asleep.

Depending on the seasons, the sunshine varies and you can adapt your routines, here are our tracks for the 4 seasons of the year.

Discover our other Ayurvedic routines:

two bowls of healthy porridge for breakfast

2. Eat naturally

Food is the cornerstone of our physical health: we are what we eat!

For a body full of vitality, eat home-cooked meals with seasonal ingredients as often as possible.

We avoid as much as possible ready-to-heat meals in the microwave, frozen foods or take-out meals.

For small hunger pangs between meals, think of fresh fruit or dried fruit, a slice of bread or a glass of water.

To do a little natural spring cure (and without diet), it’s this way!

open window with curtain in the wind

3. Avoid too much toxicity

Excesses are the enemies of balance: everything in small quantities is the secret to staying in good health.

Alcohol, sugar, tabas, drugs should be used in moderation, if at all 😉

Likewise, in your home, avoid using toxic products that make the air you breathe harmful.

Look at the labels of your household products and favor clean compositions.

Ventilate the rooms of the house regularly, especially bedrooms.

If you are a fan of body perfumes, indoor candles, essential oil diffusers: find out about the compositions so as not to “self-poison” yourself.

For candles, prefer natural waxes to synthetic ones, for perfumes, preferably choose compositions without “hidden” ingredients, which are often toxic. Finally, for essential oils, limit their diffusion over time and remember to ventilate well after use.

The quality of the air you breathe is essential for a healthy body!

woman sleeping in bed

4. Sleep deeply

Ah sleep!

Put to the test in recent decades, the sleep time of the French has decreased.

We sleep on average 6 hours 42 minutes per night, less than the minimum 7 hours daily recommended for good recovery.

In question ? Long commutes to work and screen time before bed eat into sleep time.

Not to mention the growing number of people prone to insomnia.

There's no secret to sleeping well: you have to prepare for your night's sleep as soon as you get up.

To explore this point further, discover 28 tips for better sleep here.

We hope you have sweet dreams!

young woman in balance yoga pose

5. Move your body

To feel good in your body but also to age well, moving a little every day is necessary!

Choose a physical activity that thrills you and is appropriate for your body and health, so it will be a real pleasure to move and not another “chore” to check off your to-do list.

A virtuous circle, physical activity also improves sleep and stimulates the appetite.

To motivate yourself to do yoga every day (YES it's possible), find inspiration here!

And to complement your yoga practice with another adapted sport, follow the link here.

If you are returning to sport after a long break, take it easy.

At the start, 30 minutes of walking can already make a big difference to your fitness.

young yogi woman in meditation position

6. Manage your stress

Perhaps we should have put this point first because stress is the number one enemy of good health.

The consequences on the body are brutal because stress accelerates aging, weakens the immune system, damages the heart, the brain and the intestines.

In short, STOP the stress.

So, how can you be more zen, more often?

Try as much as possible to create a daily routine that reduces stress: less is more.

Get organized, ask for help, reduce outings, material possessions, obligations, in short: simplify your life.

For the inevitable stress peaks because life will remain full of twists and turns despite all your precautions, some practical tools to add to your box:

Take care of yourself first, so you can have more to give to others later!

sky pink clouds

7. Slow down

In our culture of always “more”, it is difficult to take another path without feeling judged or in fear of missing out.

What if less was more?

Fewer requests, less paperwork, less commitment, less material = less worry and loss of time organizing, storing, repairing, maintaining, washing...

To gradually adopt a more minimalist lifestyle, go to this post which we have entirely adapted to the subject.

woman hugging a tree

8. Hug trees

Spending time outside recharges the batteries and soothes the heart.

When stress levels skyrocket, it's good to see that outside, the world continues to turn.

It is thus easier to put things into perspective and refocus on the “real problems”.

Get out as much as you can, hug trees if you feel like it! Soak up the beauty of nature, observing all the plants around you!

couple holding hands

9. Say “I love you”

The record for longevity is held by a small island belonging to Japan.

Yes, the islanders certainly eat a balanced diet but that is not their only secret.

Community bonds are very strong and everyone is included in the social life of the island.

So, no feeling of loneliness or abandonment.

Your social relationships, like the food you eat, nourish you for good or ill.

Detach yourself from toxic relationships that pollute you!

And learn to love your loved ones intensely, deeply.

Send loving words to your spouse, your children, your loved ones more often.

You can never “love” someone too much 😉

By giving your love in this way, it will come back to you fivefold and will activate in you this magic hormone of happiness, oxytocin, which reduces stress, anxiety, blood pressure and cortisol (stress hormone).

Yes, loving is good for your health!

little girl making a big soap bubble

10. Reconnect with your inner child

By taking life too seriously, it risks becoming very dull.

Even as an adult, continue to have fun, laugh and joke!

Just like words of love, laughter helps produce the happiness hormone, which has positive effects on health.

Conversely, if your inner child is still hurt by a painful past, take him by the hand to console him.

No one other than you will be able to do this salutary and liberating work.

Laughing and not ruminating on old stories are a good combination for better health!

hand holding a compass

11. Live an aligned life

What do you do for a living ?

Is your work, your hobbies, your lifestyle in line with your personality, your desires, your skills?

By connecting to your intuition, you will be able to “hear” if your life is aligned with your vibrational frequency.

If so, congratulations!

And otherwise ? As much as possible, take small steps towards your dream life.

Changing little things as you go, as you know, Rome was not built in a day.

woman reading a novel,

12. Feed your soul

We started this post with physical food and we close it with spiritual food.

What are you feeding your soul?

Hours of surfing the internet without any purpose? News about the horrors of humanity?

I invite you to be more attentive to everything you consume as information.

What brings you worry and discomfort?

Or on the contrary, what makes you happy or makes you vibrate?

There are a thousand and one ways to nourish your soul: listen to music, read, meditate, see an exhibition, travel, admire a landscape…

So, what food will you choose?

 

 

And you, what are your best tips for being healthy?

Help us, the list is still long ;-)

 

 

Discover here our eco-responsible yoga outfits made in France from recycled materials, perfectly suited to practicing all types of yoga!

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