The Balanced-Body Components Pyramid
Originally produced by Max Wettstein for Destination Health Plus LLC , copyright 2008 all rights reserved
Address these basic components first to set the foundation for a leaner body!
The Destination Health Plus Balanced-Body Pyramid is our most efficient and succinct method of presenting you with the all the components necessary to achieve a balanced lifestyle, from a physiological perspective, so you can reach your full potential: Your Best Body!
Your best or optimal body, will be leaner, (not just thinner), but more importantly it will be healthy. By paying attention to the components in the pyramid and their respective emphasis, you will realize your fitness potential while simultaneously achieving your ideal physique: Fitness and aesthetics can and should go hand in hand. The balanced-body lifestyle components in order of their respective emphasis are:
- Sleep is the absolute foundation to it all. If you’re constantly in sleep deficit, EVERYTHING else is negatively affected. Especially for athletic folks, 7 to 9 hours of sound sleep is ideal for restoration, recovery and growing, (Yes – you still grow new tissue as an adult!)
- Your mind is powerful beyond measure: You are your mind and if you don’t believe in yourself or your goals you will never reach them. You must engage yourself mentally, set challenging but realistic goals, and make fitness fun! Practice productive venting methods and de-stressing techniques such as channeling it into your work-out. Perhaps learning some level of meditation can help with relaxation and clearing your mind. Figure out what triggers your dopamine-reward center to keep you focused and more resistant to fatigue.
- Food is so important that we created a Pie Chart to breakdown the groups, as well as a separate meal-pan, (See the Whole Foods Pie Chart analysis.) The Food component accounts for approximately 30% of the emphasis in our pyramid. In a nutshell we emphasis a daily caloric intake breakdown of 30-40% protein; 40-50% carbohydrates; 20-30% fat. The more whole-food choices, unrefined, and natural/organic the better. The idea is to divide your daily caloric intake into 5 to 6 smaller meals/snacks so that you never get too full, but our never too hungry. This keeps your metabolism revved up all day long. You should strategically combine food groups so that you have an overall lower glycemic load in order to moderate insulin and provide sustained energy, and to facilitate proper digestion. Again, please consult our Food Groups Pie Chart found in the DHP Get-Fit Tips section, for a complete explanation on food.
- Exercise is the key to keeping your physiology working properly as well as keeping your resting metabolic rate elevated, and is essential to our overall philosophy. Consistent exercise will also provide you with a lot more room for error and slip-ups in your eating plan. Exercise is the only true (natural) way to restore and maintain optimum insulin function and sugar metabolism, so that once again carbohydrates will be a welcome food group. A balanced exercise plan is comprised of strength, cardio, flexibility and core training techniques. Preserving your precious muscle mass is essential to sustaining your metabolism and bone density as you age, and it is muscle mass that gives you a tight and toned appearance that you desire.
- Supplements can provide nutrients lacking in our whole-foods meal plan; provide convenient, quick meal-replacements when we’re on the go; provide a performance edge; and assist and even repair our physiology. They can also make us complacent, drain our wallets, and give us false hope for unrealistic gains. While engineered nutrition can not and should not compete with Mother Nature, supplements do have a place in augmenting your diet – substituting or comprising up to 30% of your daily calories as necessary. Supplements are the final component (and least emphasized) in completing your Balanced-Body Pyramid. We personally use and recommend Nature’s Sunshine Products.
Well that is our Balanced-Body Pyramid in a nutshell, and it touches on almost every philosophy and guideline contained in our holistic fat-loss book, ‘How Much Fat are You Carrying?’, where we provide you with and in depth discussion. You may want to print it out and tape it on your refrigerator to help remind you of what is important regarding your health. Though it is rather simple, we could all use a little reminder sometimes. Here’s to your health!