Health Literacy

by Jamie Milne

Health literacy relates to the many different areas of health, and longevity. At JMT we have identified that people with low health literacy are at higher risk of worse health outcomes and poorer mental health behaviour. 

The idea of health literacy is dynamic, evolving, using up-to-date research via such sources as Matthew Walker PHD, Dr Peter Attia, Dr Joe Dispenza, and Dr John De Martini.

This February rank your areas from 1-10, 10 being elite level.

1.Nutrition -  A healthy eating lifestyle promotes healthy outcomes, supports normal growth, development, helps to maintain a healthy body weight, and reduces the risk of chronic disease.

2. Sleep - Sleep plays an important role in your physical health, such as overall recovery, cognitive function, and longevity.Ongoing sleep deficiency is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.

3.Fitness  - This is important for keeping your muscles and joints healthy throughout the year, and strength and conditioning are great for injury prevention and weight management. It's much easier to prevent an injury than it is to recover from one.

4. Stress Management - Effective stress management helps you break the hold stress has on your life, so you can be happier, healthier, and more productive, and have the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head on.

5. Growth Zone - It takes courage to step from the comfort zone into the unknown. Yet persevere long enough, and you enter the learning zone, where you gain new skills and deal with challenges resourcefully. A new comfort zone is then created, expanding one’s ability to reach even greater heights. This is what it means to be in the growth zone.

6. Hydration - This plays a crucial role, allowing our bodies to regulate body temperature, keep joints lubricated and help deliver nutrients to cells. Drinking adequate water helps us sleep better, improves mood, fights infections, and can improve cognition.

7. Happiness - Scientific evidence suggests that being happy may have major benefits for your health. It may help combat stress, boost your immune system, protect your heart, reduce pain, encourage a healthy lifestyle, and even increase your life expectancy.

8. Mental stability/health - It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

9. Goals/ Aspirations/ Events - Setting goals helps trigger new behaviors, helps guide your focus and helps you sustain that momentum in life. Goals also help align your focus. Setting goals not only motivates us, but can also improve our mental health and our level of personal and professional success.

10. Body Composition - A healthy balance between fat and muscle is vital for health and wellness. An array of evidence shows that maintaining a healthy body composition increases longevity and reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes etc, leading to an increase in energy levels whilst improving self-esteem.