Building a Solid Foundation for Health
- Katie Robinette LAc
- Jun 12
- 4 min read
While taking over 100 hours of Functional Medicine classes through the Kharrazian Institute since winter, I’ve noticed some reoccurring themes in the “treatment” section of each class. Since I want you to know how to stay healthy and recover from any illness or injury, I’ll let you in on what comes up over and over. Chinese Medicine also emphasizes the importance of these areas for maintaining health. Each of these need to be strong for a solid foundation for health.
The Foundations of Health: Sleep, Exercise and Diet
Good sleep, proper exercise and a healthy diet build the foundation of health. They are each like a leg of tripod stool. It can’t stand if any of them are lacking. Acupuncture and one-on-one care can help you achieve success in each of these areas.
Sleep
Getting enough restful sleep is essential, and healing can’t happen without it. Most adults need at least 7 hours of sleep per night, not including the time it takes to fall asleep. Keeping regular circadian rhythms is also important, so try to go to bed and wake up at similar times each day.
Quality Sleep is Essential For:
Digestive health/microbiome diversity
Healthy brain
Positive mood
Increased stress resiliency
Healthy joints, muscles and bones
Balanced hormones
Healthy immune system
It’s anti-inflammatory
It decreases pain
So, whether you’re dealing with depression, chronic viral infections, tension headaches, PCOS or anything else, your ability to get a good sleep most nights is crucial.
I recently wrote a blog post about the most common cause of waking up in the middle of the night, and you can find that here. If you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or if you wake up not feeling rested, it’s worth it for your overall health to come in and start addressing that with regular treatments.
Exercise
Exercise triggers your body to release EXERKINES. Exerkines are released from the muscle, bone, liver, heart, brain and gastrointestinal tract in response to exercise. They are responsible for many of the benefits people experience from regular physical training.
It’s understandable that people who have health challenges or aren’t feeling great will put off exercise until they feel better. However, exerkines promote recovery, and exercise should be used as a tool to release this amazing pharmacy into your whole body.
Physical Movement Promotes Recovery in the Following Conditions
Chronic pain
Chronic depression
Anxiety
Sleep disorders
Diabetes/Metabolic syndrome
Chronic fatigue
Cognitive decline
Neurodegeneration
Osteoporosis
Intestinal permeability
Gut dysbiosis
Chronic inflammation
Poor circulation
Immune compromised
Autoimmunity
Asthma
Dermatitis
Hypertension
Headaches
With that said, it’s also important to find the right frequency, duration and intensity of exercise to get these benefits. This will vary for everyone. Too much can cause health set backs. I’ve learned so much about how to find this sweet spot, and what to do if even a little exercises causes someone to crash. If you know that you should be exercising but pain or fatigue or lack of motivation are holding you back, I’d love to help you work through that so you can experience the amazing benefits of moving your body.
Diet
There’s so much to say about diet, and there isn’t a one size fits all approach to healthy eating. However, if there is one bit of advice that comes up over and over that everyone can follow it’s Diversify Your Plant Foods.
Diversity of your gut microbiome is supremely important to your gut, your brain and your overall health. You can achieve this diversity by eating a wide variety of plant foods and fibers. Each little “gut buddy” (term coined by Dr. Gundry for your healthy gut bacteria) eats different types of fiber and polyphenols. We want a diverse community of gut buddies, each contributing to our health in a variety of ways.
So, branch out in the produce section and pick something new each week. Even one bite of something will have an impact. For example, I’m not a fan of radishes, but if they are available I will eat one as a special treat for my gut buddies.
How strong is your foundation?
If you’ve been struggling with sleep, exercise or diet, it’s likely affecting all other aspects of your health. Let’s start figuring out what’s causing it and what we can do to help.
Creating a Plan
After spending some time discussing what’s going on, I’ll recommend some things for your treatment plan. Your plan might include simple dietary changes, acupuncture, herbal or nutritional supplements, changes to your exercise regime, or whatever else might come up during our discussion.
If acupuncture is a main part of your plan, weekly treatments will be recommended for a month or so. If lifestyle or other changes are a priority, acupuncture and checking-in every 2-3 weeks could be a good plan.
It’s amazing what can be revealed with consistent attention on an issue and with a dedicated practitioner at your side.
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