Pillars for Healthy Living-Journey to Holistic Health,
Well-being, and Healing Incorporating Yoga, Eastern Insight Complements Modern Science.

 Nick Nipank Shroff, MD, ERYT

1.Physical Activities, Exercise, and Yoga

Incorporating physical activities, exercise, and yoga into your lifestyle is an excellent way to promote holistic healthy living. Not only do they offer various health benefits, but they also help to create a sense of mindfulness and relaxation, which improves mental well-being.
Regular physical activity, such as cycling, walking, swimming, gardening, or ballroom dancing, has been proven to optimize health, boost the immune system, improve bone density, maintain muscle mass, assist in cardiovascular and strength training, and add years to your life. Researchers have also discovered added benefits of more intense movements that increase heart rate and breathing.
Yoga is an ancient tradition that has gained worldwide popularity that uses body postures for physical and mental health. It is a great way to combine action and mindfulness to promote a healthy body, mind, and overall health span. Yoga tones the body and activates critical like as the brain, heart, and muscles while relaxing the mind. It also helps to boost feel-good brain chemicals like GABA, serotonin, and dopamine, which promote relaxation and contentment.
Although yoga is often thought of as an exercise form, it is a highly efficient way to facilitate mind-body synergy, mental well-being, coordination, and personal power through enhanced focus, awareness, breathing, and meditation techniques. It can help to restore optimal health by recognizing the impact of the mind and emotions on our well-being.
Kick-start your fitness journey by joining the yoga fit & fun challenge to understand the importance of stretching and flexibility and how to create healthy habits. Enjoy the yoga journey with a full range of movements but avoid jumping back immediately into doing things. Instead, allow a time of transition to enjoy the bliss of the session. Exercising for Minutes Adds Years by making physical activities, exercise, and yoga a regular part of your lifestyle. You can achieve holistic, healthy living and improve your overall well-being.
 

2.Nutrition

Eating a well-balanced diet in moderation is the key. A colorful rainbow diet (eating fruits and vegetables of different colors daily) offers nutritional support and phytonutrients. It strengthens the gut microbiomes, decreases inflammation, and balances hormones. An anti-inflammatory (AI) diet helps increase bone strength, prevents age-related ailments, promotes overall wellness, and protects the heart and brain. This diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet but with fewer processed foods, refined sugars, fried foods, saturated fats, and partially hydrogenated fats like margarine. Furthermore, the AI diet emphasizes fiber-rich, organic, farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, such as berries, tomatoes, dark leafy greens, beans, whole grains, green tea, dark chocolate, and healthy fats. In 2023, the Mediterranean tied with the cholesterol-lowering TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes) and flexitarian diets as the best family-friendly diet, and with DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) for best bone and joint health diet.^[1] Obesity is just as much a killer as alcohol and tobacco. Emotional eating is employed by many to self-medicate stress and anxiety in their lives. Further, recent studies show that depression can be caused by a faulty diet and remedied by making proper food choices.
Practice mindful eating while paying attention to your body's hunger and fullness cues. Eat slowly, without distractions, as this helps you control your portions and avoid overeating. When drinking, take tiny sips and set the glass down in between. Create healthy habits, so appropriate eating and drinking are less of a chore and more of a way of life.

^[1] Multiple Health Benefits and Minimal Risks Associated with Vegetarian Diets.Rocha JP, Laster J, Parag B, Shah NU.Curr Nutr Rep. 2019 Dec;8(4):374-381
 

3.Avoid Ultra-Processed Foods

Ultra-processed foods as “industrial formulations of food substances (oils, fats, sugars, starch, and protein isolates) that contain little or no whole foods and typically include flavorings, coloring, emulsifiers, and other cosmetic additives.” They include most pre-packaged snack foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, frozen meals, processed red meat, potato chips, frozen French fries, and many seemingly healthy frozen foods. These are addictive foods that deliver extra calories, fat, sugar, and sodium with little to no nutrition. These foods trigger inflammation affecting neurotransmitters in the brain and leading to cognitive decline.
 

4.Restorative Sleep and Yoga Nidra

Restorative sleep and Yoga Nidra are essential for overall well-being, as they provide the foundation for physical, emotional, and mental rejuvenation. Sleeping seven to nine hours each night is critical to avoid brain fog and promote alertness for the day ahead.Sleep deprivation is linked to an increased chance of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and depression.  Adequate sleep supports all aspects of health, including immune function, memory consolidation, and the release of essential neurochemicals.
However, in our fast-paced world, it can be challenging to power down and unwind at the end of the day. To improve sleep quality, it is essential to create a sleep-conducive environment. Your bedroom should be cool, dark, quiet, well-ventilated, and comfortable. Start winding down at least two hours before bed by turning down lights, avoiding provocative media, and limiting stimulating conversations. Blue light from electronic screens can interfere with the body's internal clock, so it's best to avoid using devices before bed.
In addition to creating a peaceful environment, practicing yoga and meditation can help calm the mind and body. Yoga is an effective way to unwind after a busy day, improve sleep quality, and promote overall health. Silencing the noise around you and quieting the relentless chatter in your mind helps release your unlimited potential. The ALIGN ^[1] approach to yoga involves activating the body, listening to the breath, improving sense control, gaining insight, and nurturing the soul. This approach can help you connect with your inner voice and find peace and relaxation.
In addition to creating a peaceful environment, practicing yoga and meditation can help calm the mind and body. Yoga is an effective way to unwind after a busy day, improve sleep quality, and promote overall health. Silencing the noise around you and quieting the relentless chatter in your mind helps release your unlimited potential. The ALIGN ^[1] approach to yoga involves activating the body, listening to the breath, improving sense control, gaining insight, and nurturing the soul. This approach can help you connect with your inner voice and find peace and relaxation.
Yoga and breathing exercises before bed elicit a relaxation response, releasing calming hormones that quiet the nervous system and promote restful sleep. Slow inhalation through the nose can be beneficial, followed by a long exhalation. Yoga Nidra and meditation are powerful tools for sound sleep, rest, recovery, and regeneration. Taking just ten minutes before bed for silent self-discovery, prayer, or meditation can help prepare your mind for a peaceful night's sleep.
In summary, prioritizing restorative sleep and incorporating yoga and meditation into your routine can profoundly impact your overall well-being. Creating a peaceful sleep environment, practicing yoga and meditation, and taking time for self-discovery can help calm the mind and body, leading to improved sleep quality and a happier, healthier you. Yoga-Nidra and meditation afford sound sleep, rest, recovery, and regeneration.

5.Proper Breathing

Breath is a powerful force that regulates cellular respiration and harmonizes the body for optimal health. Evidence supports the relevance of breathing practices for health maintenance, the central nervous system, and stress regulation. Individuals can proactively improve their physical and mental wellbeing by utilizing the transformative power of breath.
Proper nose breathing fosters improvements in energy and sleep levels that promote natural connections with the mind’s positive core, resulting in clarity.
Diaphragmatic breathing encourages relaxation and reduces stress, heart rate, and blood pressure by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Various pranayama techniques, including slow diaphragmatic breathing through the nose and prolonged exhalation, help promote a night of restful sleep.
Mindfulness techniques connected to breathing increase body awareness and create a sense of well-being. If the mind wanders during practice, bring the focus back to breathing. If breathing is strained, focus on relaxing and re-engaging with calmer breathing.
Unfortunately, people usually take short, shallow breaths using just the chest. Instead, taking the time to inhale and exhale deeply with diaphragmatic breathing is essential. Slow breathing techniques activate the hypothalamus connected to the pituitary gland. This gland sends out neurohormones that inhibit stress-producing hormones and trigger a relaxation response in the body.

6.Intentional Intermittent Breath-Hold/Retention Practices

Breath retention (Kumbhaka) has played a significant role in many pranayama techniques for hundreds of years. Breath-hold practices are used in relaxation techniques, yoga, meditation, willpower training, vocal coaching, and free-diving. A voluntary, tolerable period of breath-holding, called control-pause, causes mild air hunger. It reduces heart rate and anxiety, calming the nervous system and helping to dispel mental/physical stress. In addition, it induces an anti-inflammatory effect, strengthening the immune system. Other benefits include increased lung capacity and function, thus enhancing health and fitness like high altitude training. It also increases nitric oxide, relaxing and narrowing the blood vessels for optimal circulation and blood pressure.
 

7.Meditation and Mindfulness

Meditation is heightened awareness leading to an understanding the Self or Spirit. Mindfulness meditation involves purposely focusing on the present in a welcoming and non-judgmental manner rather than worrying about the past or future. Meditation helps increase positive thoughts, awareness, focus, and self-connection.
One form of meditation guides the seeker to focus on a single action,¹³ such as breathing in a natural rhythm or observing a peaceful scene. The resulting restful state brings the entire mind-body complex to a natural balance. What begins as conscious relaxation during meditation can naturally evolve into deeper philosophical and spiritual exploration. Meditation helps you tune into your intuitive inner voice, the higher self-enhancing quality of your mind.
Yoga, Tai chi, Qigong, and other relaxation modes recharge your internal battery and bring inner peace. Regular practice reduces stress and boosts serenity by helping one to stay calm even under pressure. It also helps the immune response to help fight diseases and infections.
Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) help with difficult everyday experiences and survival issues, including loss of control, uncertainty about the future, and fear of recurrence. These often are accompanied by physical and psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, and fatigue.  Silence the noise within and around you to tap into your unlimited potential.

 

8.Manage Stress Appropriately

Long-term or chronic stress compromises the immune system, leading to sleep disruption, irritability, headaches, digestive tract issues, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and depression. Unresolved stress can lead to unethical behavior, impaired employment, and personal problems. Unnecessary stressful and polarizing media content could activate our brains, increase the risk for mood issues, and damage our brain health and function.
Unfortunately, life comes with self-imposed stressful demands. Anxiety, depression, loneliness, and isolation, particularly in the elderly, cause collateral damage that threatens mental and physical health. So, focus on evidence-based ways to manage stress with coping skills to improve ethical behavior, enrich personal resilience, and prevent burnout. Removing unhelpful content frees your brain up to consume healthier stuff.
However, not all stress has an adverse effect. For example, studies have shown that short-term or acute stress (through short bursts of exercise) improves focus, concentration, productivity, and the immune system.
Going lightly is a path to intentionality. Ask yourself, does thinking this thought, feeling this feeling, or taking this action feel light or heavy? Often, if it feels light, it's right. Go light because less brings more peace, calmness, and more of what matters most to you. It's called Living lighter with less and how to embrace a “less is more” mindset.

9.Healthy Relationships, Protect the Psyche

Developing healthy relationships enable us to be who we are. They nurture us and help improve our physical and psychological health. Social connectedness is essential to emotional resiliency. So, to ensure fulfilling relationships with Family, Friends, and Community:
– Reduce communication barriers, facilitate open and honest communication setting regular times to engage with others.
– Be proactive, honest, and open with people. Lower barriers and be vulnerable.
Social media popularity can give us a false sense of security. The number of people we know online is not necessarily the best measure of genuine human interaction. The key is in the quality and sincerity of those relationships.

10.Avoid Loneliness

Isolation, with limited participation in social activities, is detrimental to health. Individuals who lack social connections may have impaired immune function and increased inflammation, leading to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other debilitating diseases. Counter loneliness by finding ways to connect to make deeply personal, face-to-face connections with your family and friends, building meaningful bonds. Connecting with others reaps the benefits of mutual support and friendship.  Social interactions through writing, music, gardening, and the culinary arts convey messages of warmth and care, leading to better health. This fosters health and healing. reduce the time and energy you need on pills for the ill.
Research suggests that support groups encouraging meditation and yoga can alter patients with chronic diseases and cancer patients’ cellular activity. A feeling of isolation is common in these individuals. However, when people feel connected, they feel protected--boosting their self-healing power. Meditation creates that connectivity and can serve as a starting point for patients struggling to calm their minds.                                     
The toxic effects of social isolation sap vitality, impair productivity and diminish life's enjoyment. Its distressing effects on health increase early death by 30 percent, almost similar to obesity, alcohol abuse, and smoking.
As the saying goes, “One is the loneliest number.” Having close friends can boost your happiness, reduce stress and help you maintain healthy habits. Talking to a trusted friend or loved one about your feelings helps you feel better. Helping others and volunteering provide a sense of purpose reducing depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Engaging in enjoyable activities and finding a hobby reduce stress and improve mood.

11.Maintain Emotional Balance, Equilibrium, and Resilience

Emotions dictate our intentions, thoughts, and actions. Reacting to emotions too quickly may cause a person to regret them later. When confronted with an upsetting feeling, it’s wise not to respond immediately. Instead, take deep breaths for a few minutes, feel the muscles relax, and only then respond appropriately. Fill the mind with positive images and thoughts that replace the negative ones. A positive mentality is essential because there are already enough negative things. Everyone has struggles that others often know nothing about. A little positivity can brighten people’s days. Focusing on what you are grateful for can help increase happiness and well-being. Dealing with everyday circumstances with humor, kindness, and gratitude can reap psychological benefits. Do not sweat the small stuff, and avoid guilt. Do not drag the stress from the past or worry about the days ahead. Instead, focus on the positives, and your will mood will brighten!  Find a healthy outlet. Avoid bottling up emotions and talk to trustworthy people about the incident.
Maintaining work/life balance while regulating emotions is vital to one’s health. Assess the importance of identifying core values congruent with prioritizing life activities to improve health. By honoring the body’s signals, find joy in what the day brings. Joy keeps us motivated, so find a way to create it daily. It could be through a funny meme in a text chain, a hug from kids, shared laughter, or a motivational song or message.
Sometimes people use food to manage their emotions to avoid getting in touch with their sadness, boredom, stress, and/or loneliness. To prevent emotional eating, appropriate advice and encouragement are needed.

12.Challenge your Brain

One of the most powerful tools is perpetually challenging our brains. This can be as simple as entertaining or exploring an opposing ideological perspective, opening up space for compassionate conversations with people with different viewpoints. Other examples are learning a new language, practicing an instrument, and doing word puzzles (like Wordle) to help keep your brain sharp.
Our brain is energy-demanding. It comprises less than 3% of our body weight but uses 20% of our energy. Most of that energy is used by our neurons, and the amount of energy used is directly related to how much they are used. This means that our brain energy and function reflect where we direct our focus, so limit unnecessary, excessive, and stressful media to help improve brain function. Challenging our brain helps form new connections between neurons through neuroplasticity (brain’s ability to reshape itself throughout our lifespans). Research has even indicated that exercising our brains may help slow down and prevent cognitive decline.

13.Live Slowly, Naturally and Safely

“We were running fast on that hamster wheel and barely staying on”
Many people rush through life, trying to do everything as quickly as possible. This can lead to stress and exhaustion. Instead, living slowly, naturally, and safely can help you achieve a greater sense of well-being.
Body:

1. Mindfulness and Quality over Quantity

• Avoid rushing through activities and strive for quality over quantity, So instead of having your mind full, be mindful
• Practice mindfulness in everything you do, including eating and drinking.
• Take time to eat slowly and recognize your body's hunger and fullness cues.
• Create healthy habits to make appropriate eating and drinking a way of life.

2. Embrace Leisure, Simplify! Live Deliberately! —Henry David Thoreau.

• Declutter and simplify your life to reduce stress.
• Practice moderation to achieve a sense of well-being.
• Embrace leisure and learn to do nothing sometimes.
• Overcoming cravings for temporary pleasure or recognition can lead to greater happiness.

3. Move Naturally and Safely

• Lower the risk of premature mortality by moving more often.
• Incorporate a range of natural, healthful movements into your exercise routine.
• Improve balance, agility, power, strength, and stamina.
• Develop recovery schemes to help recover and return to rehabilitation cycles.
• Consider water-based exercises if you have joint problems or physical limitations.

4. Avoid Dangerous Falls

• Maintain leg strength, balance, endurance, and coordination to help “catch yourself” and avoid a fall if you should trip.
• Yoga and standing on one foot can improve balance. Practice standing on one foot when brushing your teeth and washing dishes to enhance stability and balance.
• Be extra careful during adventure sports that involve risky physical and mental exertion.
• Always wear a helmet while cycling, skating, or rock climbing.
  In summary, by living slowly, naturally, and safely, you can achieve a greater sense of well-being and reduce the risk of injury or illness. Incorporate mindfulness, simplicity, natural movements, and caution into your daily life to achieve a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle.

14.Avoid Toxicity

Avoid unhealthy habits that involve drugs, alcohol, smoking, and exposure to harmful substances. Harmful chemicals in our air, water, food, and other products may contribute to chronic diseases. Some products contain toxic chemicals linked to health problems such as asthma, infertility, and cancer. For example, pesticides sprayed on fruits and vegetables accumulate on the outer peel (or skin). Still, the peel does not necessarily form an impenetrable barrier.
Effective ways to reduce exposure to harmful chemicals in everyday products and eliminate toxic substances are effective. For example, when plastic comes into contact with hot food and drink, chemicals such as dioxins, bisphenol-A, or BPA, an endocrine disruptor, leach out of the plastic and wind up in the body when consumed.

15.Play, Laugh and Relax

Play wholeheartedly, remaining present, intentional, and joyful. Life can be far too serious, with self-imposed and stressful demands. Therefore, make sure you laugh, frequently and heartily—at yourself as well. Wholehearted laughter is the best medicine. It triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring the mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Encourage abundant joyfulness by finding time for play. So go dancing, play tag, throw snowballs—have fun, do fun things, and be around fun people.
Besides playing and laughing, learn relaxed alertness, which allows you to tackle even the most challenging days in a more productive and tranquil frame of mind. It draws people together and triggers healthy physical and emotional changes in the body.

16.Seek the Blessings of Nature

Connecting with nature has numerous benefits for our physical and mental health. Spending time outdoors, particularly in natural environments, can be more beneficial than indoors. Minimizing screen time in favor of green time has been shown to improve self-esteem, regulate natural sleep rhythms, reduce anxiety, and lower stress hormone levels. Despite the convenience of modern urban living, we have an innate desire to interact with nature. The evidence suggests that being outdoors and observing nature relieves not only stress but also boosts the immune system, and "fresh air drives fresh thinking."
Forest bathing, a form of nature therapy, is an effective technique for dealing with the stresses and anxieties of daily life. Data suggest that walking through the woods, inhaling the scent of trees, and being surrounded by natural greenery can decrease blood pressure, heart rate, and depression and anxiety symptoms.
In nature, everything is living and giving itself to the fullest extent. On the other hand, humans often try to save their joy, love, and peace. We must learn to rest in peace, just as nature does. The influence of heredity and the environment on social advancement is nature versus nurture. Nature refers to the natural Earth and its living elements, such as trees, forests, animals, and the essence of a person or thing. It is the pre-wiring of our biology, influenced by genetic inheritance and other biological factors. Nurture, conversely, is the influence of external factors on an individual after birth, such as exposure, life experiences, and learning, including environmental factors such as stress, which can affect a person's psychological outcomes, such as depression.
However, it's important to remember that UV radiation from the sun can also cause damage to the skin, leading to wrinkles and age spots, so protection is essential.
In summary, nature is an essential part of our well-being, and we should seek its blessings by spending time outdoors, practicing nature therapy, and being mindful of our surroundings.

17.Embrace Cold Showers-Go Beyond Your Comfort Zone, Challenge Yourself

Cold showers constrict blood vessels on the body's surface. Exposure to cold triggers the circulatory system to reduce inflammation and can help prevent cardiovascular disease.  After a more strenuous workout, alternating cold and hot showers reduce soreness while relaxing and repairing muscles.
Cold exposure influences physiological and psychological performance and acts as an immuno-stimulant. It increases the activity of leukocytes and natural killer (NK) cells, enhancing the capacity to tolerate dynamic shifts in the environment. For example, cold showers increase neurochemicals like dopamine and norepinephrine and lower cortisol—the stress hormone.

18.Live Purposefully

Creating a life’s purpose promotes a wholesome environment, graceful aging, and reducing the risk of premature death. While making a conscious habit of being grateful for what you presently have, focus on ways to contribute to goodness in the world. It does not have to be grandiose or revolutionary, just well-defined and meaningful.
Paul Arden's book It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be provides some practical insight on how to succeed for the talented and timid to make the unthinkable thinkable and the impossible possible. Focus on the enjoyable moments in life rather than the difficult ones. While there will inevitably be challenges, recognize that life has ups and downs. The good times are forged through the bad. So fill the mind with positive images and thoughts. A positive attitude can help you weather setbacks and improve your health. Moreover, the drive to achieve these goals brings confidence that promotes graceful aging in a wholesome environment.

19.Slow Down the Aging Process

As we age, our natural repair mechanisms slow down, leading to health issues like joint problems, decreased mobility, muscle mass, and a weakened immune system. However, it's important to note that everyone's body ages differently. Fortunately, there are science-backed ways to slow aging and maintain good health.
To prevent physical decline due to loss of muscle mass, it's important to use your muscles. The saying "use it or lose it" applies here. In addition, relative fitness, the ratio of our waist size to our height, is another indicator of good health. Keeping our waist circumference to less than half our height can increase health-span and life expectancy. For example, a 6ft-tall man should aim for a waist circumference of 36 inches or less, while a 5ft 4in woman should not exceed 32 inches. Waist circumference measures abdominal fat levels, so maintaining a healthy waistline requires regular exercise and a balanced diet. In addition to cardiovascular exercises like walking, biking, and swimming, strength training exercises are also crucial. Therefore, add weight training (resistance and/or strength) to your exercise routine to maintain muscle mass.
Stress management techniques can help reduce the impact of chronic stress on the aging process and reduce the risk of age-related diseases. Engaging in mentally stimulating activities can also keep the brain sharp and reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline. Good oral hygiene is also crucial to prevent tooth loss and gum disease, which can negatively impact overall health and quality of life as we age.
In summary, while aging is inevitable, feeling old is not. By practicing healthy lifestyle choices, such as regular exercise, stress management, mental stimulation, and good hygiene, we can slow down aging and maintain good health.

20.Be Grounded in the Present Moment

Grounding uses sensory information to ground yourself in the present moment. Grounding techniques use your five senses to shift your thoughts to what is currently happening in your body or surroundings. This can reduce the intensity of worry about the past and future, making it easier to focus on the present and avoid anxiety attacks. Think of 5-4-3-2-: five things you can see, four things you can feel, three that you can hear, two  you can smell, and one that you can taste.
Grounding exercises work by rooting you in the present moment because they stimulate the prefrontal cortex, the driver’s seat. This is the highly developed part of the brain responsible for cognitive control functions that influence attention, impulse inhibition, memory, and emotions.  When you use your senses intently, without judgment, you become meaningfully aware of where you are in this moment. The sound of music, the chirping of birds, or the sight of colorful flowers swaying gracefully in the breeze ground us in fantastic awareness of who we are.

21.Self-Care is Self-Love; Lead a Balanced life

Self-care is an essential aspect of self-love and self-compassion. It can be life-changing both physically and mentally, and it doesn't have to be arduous or painful. Be realistic—don’t bite off more than you can chew. One should practice diligence by managing stress proactively and strive for balance in all aspects of life. Respect conventional medicine and follow prescriptions, keep up with health screenings, and get vaccinated to protect against diseases such as influenza and pneumonia.^[1] Regular check-ups and screenings can help detect any potential illnesses or diseases. avoid a “pill for ill” attitude. Lifestyle changes complement modern treatment; it's not an either/or situation but a combination of both approaches.

^[1]  "Vaccines for Older Adults." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 26 Apr. 2021, www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/rec-vac/index

Live Better, Feel Better. You Owe It to Yourself

Incorporating healthy living pillars is crucial for overall well-being, including physical, mental, emotional, and social health. Exercise and diet are essential, but other pillars such as sleep, healthy relationships, proper breathing, and restful meditation are also essential for optimal health and happiness. Good health is not alone by nutritious foods, vitamins, and medicines. It also comes from peace of mind and the soul and is magnified by laughter and love.  A well-integrated approach to health using all the tools in the toolbox can transform sick care into restorative care. Complement modern medicine with the benefits of yoga, pranayama, and meditation to optimize wellness. Stress and psychological problems can weave into our health, and a holistic approach can help optimize wellness.

In conclusion, living a balanced life is an act of self-love and self-compassion. It doesn't have to be a daunting task but a gentle and enjoyable practice that can be life-changing physically, mentally, and emotionally. Be the architect of your healthy choices and strive to optimize wellness holistically for peace and good health throughout your lifetime. As the author and philosopher Albert Schweitzer once said, "Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory."