Deep Health
I work from a model that I refer to as DEEP HEALTH.
The Deep Health Model
Enviromental
Knowing that our everyday surroundings support our health and wellbeing.
Existential
Our ability to feel a sense of purpose and meaning in life.
Physical
Our ability to adapt healthy habits so that we feel vital, energized and perform and function well in our bodies.
Occupational
Our ability to find personal sanction and enrichment in one´s work and chosen career fields while still maintaining balance in out lives.
Relational
Our ability to be authentic, relate to, connect, and establish. relationships with other people in our world.
Intellectual
Our abiltiy to staying curious and open our minds to new ideas and experiences.
Emotional
Our abilty to acknowledge and share a full range of emotions.
Financial
Our relationship with money and our skills in managing resources.
Why Deep Health?
I define health in terms of that it depends on the individual. What is healthy for one individual might not be so healthy for another. It depends on the individual’s characteristics – her genes and biochemistry.
I think of health in terms of turnover. People that lead busy lives might need to spend more time on activities for mental recovery such as yoga, meditation, and mindfulness to find inner peace than people who live more quietly.
I define a healthy body and a healthy mind as something that is in balance. Lifestyle factors such as:
- what we eat and drink;
- how physically active we are;
- our seducers in the forms of drugs such as tobacco and alcohol;
- and our sleep patterns – all have to be balanced.
But are we balanced human beings when we tend to avoid all “unhealthy” things?
Are we protected from chronic inflammation just because we look slim?
Can we regard ourselves as healthy when we look slim but are mentally unstable, have dry skin and hair, and have low levels of anabolic hormones?
For a couple of years ago, I did not eat the way I do today. I was eating too little and too poor to fuel my activity level. I ended up having lost menstruation, and I had many infections.
Eventually, my body told me “I cannot keep up with you anymore, I have had enough”.
My body was speaking to me by giving me severe neck pain.
Rather than building a stronger body with exercise, my poor diet resulted in my body using the proteins of my muscles and bone structure to fuel my training. With more exercise, I only got weaker.
According to our society’s norms, I looked great from sight but my hair, skin, and nails did not have good quality. The degradative processes took over and it caused my body to shuffle energy from my support structures (my bones, muscles, skin, and hair). These degradative processes probably also speeded up my aging process. So, even though I just turned 38 years of age, I found some wrinkles in my skin and grey hair.