Back to Basics
Health can often be overcomplicated, with a plethora of health trends and the latest biohacking tool clouding the true pillars of health that need to be addressed and established for long-term, sustainable emotional and physical health that doesn’t feel like a constant struggle to maintain. At Populi Studio, we address the pillars of health, alongside personalised herbal medicine, and specific nutritional supplementation, when necessary, to achieve optimal physical, emotional, and social well-being as well as disease remission and prevention:
Nourishment
With so many diets circulating online promising healing effects, it can be hard to know which one is right for you. I like to keep it quite simple and return to a wholefood Mediterranean style diet that prioritises a variety of seasonal fresh foods for fibre, protein from various animal and plant sources, and healthy fats to support hormone health, and limiting processed inflammatory foods.
Most of us do not consume enough fibre to support our gut microbiome bacteria. The beneficial bacteria in our gut are among the most important aspects of health, whether you are dealing with acne, hormonal issues, period pain, low mood, poor concentration, anxiety or depression, gut issues, or autoimmune conditions.
Aim for 35 or more different plant foods per week for a healthy gut. At first, this sounds like a lot, but once you start to think about adding more plants to your meal, it becomes second nature and adds up quite quickly.
Movement
Consistent movement is fundamental to humans and essential to all aspects of health. You don’t need to run a marathon, train for Hyrox, or follow a strict, intensive exercise routine that feels like punishment rather than appreciation for your body. Combining various types of movements you enjoy, for functionality, mental health, bone health, lymphatic flow, and insulin sensitivity, is key.
Resistance training is crucial to increase muscle mass and preserve bone density, as osteoporosis affects 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men, which is largely preventable through weight-bearing exercises throughout life.
Restorative Sleep
We’ve all heard that good sleep is important, and so often it is neglected or negatively affected by racing minds. During our sleep, we heal, repair, detoxify and rebuild. Creating consistent sleep habits and a strong sleep hygiene routine has such profound impacts on energy, mood, stress response, hormone health, disease prevention, insulin sensitivity, stabilising blood sugar levels, weight management, and the list goes on. I always recommend creating a simple but effective sleep routine that signals to your brain it is time to wind down and to release melatonin. Alongside this, we can use nutritional and herbal medicine to support sleep onset and sleep quality if needed.
Nervous System Regulation
Stress and cortisol directly affect our emotional well-being, but there are also clear connections between the gut and brain through the Vagus nerve. Stress also affects hormones and reproductive conditions. This is because steroid hormones, including oestrogen and testosterone, are made from cholesterol, and so is cortisol. Our bodies will always prioritise survival over reproduction, so cholesterol will be used to make cortisol when we are stressed, rather than using cholesterol to make reproductive hormones.
Having a tool kit of nervous system support strategies can be incredibly powerful to stimulate the Vagus nerve to signal safety and reduce cortisol. So many health issues arise from chronic stress, including acne, reproductive issues, Hashimoto’s and other autoimmune conditions, gut issues and missing periods, all of which benefit highly from naturopathic nervous system support.
