Spotlighting the Top 5 Mainstays of Self-Care

We all do it, we say to ourselves about this time each year, “I am going to become healthier.” We often state, “I am going to get into the best shape of my life this year.” We start out strong with good intentions and resolve, and then somewhere, sometime, over the next few months, we become a little less ambitious in focusing on those initial New Year’s health goals.

I get it, with myriad educational articles and tips on health and wellness at our fingertips, we can easily get overwhelmed (and overloaded) by the wealth of information online, as well as by our personal social media feeds on the importance of physical, mental, psychological, and emotional health.

So, for this first column of 2025, I want to get back to basics. I want to talk about the five most important pillars, or what I believe to be considered mainstay criteria, of basic ‘self-care.’

Sadly, Americans are less healthy than they could or should be. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), six out of every ten Americans live with at least one chronic disease. Further concerning, and according to that same study, four out of every ten Americans have two or more chronic diseases. Illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and ischemic activity (strokes) place heavy tolls on our collective health and overall productivity.

According to Harvard Health, five specific lifestyle habits can dramatically reduce the risk of chronic illnesses. Those include:

Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and unsaturated fatty acids. Eat minimal amounts of processed meat, red meat, sugary drinks, foods with trans fats, and those laden with sodium.
Do not smoke.
Attain at least three-and-a-half hours of moderate-to vigorous physical activity every week, to get your heart rate up. This can include walking, biking, hiking, or swimming. Even weight training while watching television can increase your heart rate.
Drink limited alcohol (no more than one drink per day for women, and two drinks or less per day for men).
Maintain a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is the measure of body fat based on height and weight. Accordingly, BMI calculations should fall in the range of 18.5 to 24.9.

Other self-care habits should include:

Staying hydrated while eating regular meals, daily; also eat foods which contain probiotics, as well as omega-3s, such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines, and herring.
Make sleep a priority and practice good sleep hygiene. Create a regular sleep schedule, design a comfortable sleep environment such as a cool, dark, and quiet space with a noise machine to block out distractions; avoid screens, alcohol, and caffeine, right before bedtime.

All the above are important disciplines for self-care, but as a scientist who studies, and formulates health and wellness products, I also believe in the importance of detoxing while focusing on anti-inflammatory disciplines.

Dr. Christina Rahm

One of the strongest detoxing formulas available on the health and wellness market is Clean Slate. Under The ROOT Brands® umbrella, Clean Slate was developed to assist the body in removing environmental toxins and heavy metals, while assisting in the reduction of inflammation. Clean Slate also supports the absorption of nutrients which can block nutrient binding sites. For more information on that product, go to www.therootbrands.com/purelivingroot.

When it comes to self-care, habits that foster a healthy mind and strong body are interchangeably important. Scientists have learned over time that the mind and body are inextricably linked, so thoughts and emotions can influence health. For example, stressful events can increase blood pressure. Depression can lower the tolerance for pain, and loneliness can be related to premature death.

This means any program for true self-care must go beyond these five primary “pillars,” but still, a phenomenal foundation for starting any health and wellness journey that can be strengthened over time to build a healthier you!

Happy New Year!