Consistency Is The Key To Good Health

There are four pillars of wellbeing, sleep, food, movement, and emotional well-being.”- Luke Coutinho

India has gained its long due recognition as the land of Ayurveda, and all the natural healing practices. While it is the land of Yoga and meditation, it also holds the dubious distinction of being the most diabetic and cancerous country in the world. Most of these are closely connected to the diet and lifestyle we follow along with the sugar and fat rich addition to the daily diet. To overcome these issues, it is necessary to pause and look inwards. Even during the pandemic, it is the mindset of the people which has driven them to better or worse health. The will has to come from within. 

Speaking about the same at BW Wellbeing World Conference, Luke Coutinho a well-known health and fitness expert, informs the audience about the necessary steps one needs to follow for overall wellness. In his own words: “There are four pillars of wellbeing, sleep, food, movement, and emotional well-being.” He further highlighted the importance of biometrics and the necessity of unique health approach. A lot of us presume that fitness is a one size fits all phenomenon. However, this is far from the truth. Just like each one of us is unique in our personality, so also are we different in the nutritional and exercise requirements of our bodies. “The food that works for one person does not have to work for the second. Some bodies may be carb efficient, but they follow a low carb diet because that is what they believe they are supposed to do. How can you be successful if you are trying to put uniqueness into a box?”  

In addition to recognising the individuality of each person, it is important to embrace simplicity by sticking to a healthy diet and not running after fads. At the same time it is not required to go into extremes. Coutinho gives some simple advice we can go back to time and again, “Keep your food simple, eat at the right time, stop eating so much all the time. You won’t be finishing your breakfast you will start snacking, when you don’t finish snacking you will start having lunch.” 

Fitness however is not just physical; it is also largely mental. “There are three words if you master, no matter how much of stress you have in your life you feel better. They are mindfulness, acceptance and letting go.” These ideas are simple to hear but difficult to accept because we always want to be in control and are in a tussle between ego and pride. Lastly, stress has an equally important role to play in our psyche, which is also deeply connected to mindfulness and acceptance. Stress is the way we relate to a person, thing, or event. “You don’t have to work on reducing stress in your life, you have to work on hoe you relate to it.”, says Luke.  

Holistic wellness requires continuous work, for physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional wellbeing. “I work with dying patients every day, and none of them talk about the money they made. They focus on children, family, love.” shares Coutinho sharing his experience. In the end, wellness is all about a holistic approach where mind impacts the body and vice versa.