Wholesome wellness benefits are those that promote health. They can be achieved through small changes to your lifestyle.
To encourage healthy choices and whole-person wellness, the University embraced CREATION Health, which emphasizes eight elements of health: Choice, Rest, Environment, Activity, Trust, Interpersonal relationships, Outlook, and Nutrition.
Minimally Processed Foods
The wholesome wellness benefits of minimally processed foods are becoming increasingly recognized. They are a key element of healthy diets that emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other plant foods.
In addition, some minimally processed foods contain added micronutrients to provide a nutritional boost or make them easier to digest. Examples include milks and juices fortified with calcium and vitamin D, cereals that have added fiber, and canned fruits packed in water or natural fruit juice.
Minimally processed foods are also a better choice for your wallet. They can be less expensive than ultra-processed foods, and they are more environmentally friendly.
To ensure minimally processed food safety and quality, novel preservation technologies are being developed and applied (Pratap Singh et al., 2017). These include additives, modified atmosphere packaging, edible films, high hydrostatic pressure, high-intensity pulsed electric field, ultrasound and light. Those techniques can extend the shelf life of minimally processed food products without compromising their quality, taste and appearance.
Avoiding Ultra-Processed Foods
Many ultra-processed foods contain high levels of added sugar, sodium and saturated fat. The resulting calorie intake can increase your risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity and other health problems.
If you are concerned about your consumption of these types of foods, a good way to start is to make small changes. That way you can gradually build healthy habits that will lead to a more fulfilling and longer-lasting lifestyle, says Andrea Glenn, PhD, RD, a postdoctoral research fellow in nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.
For example, avoid fast food; opt for healthy restaurants instead of chain eateries; and choose meal prep rather than takeaway meals. You may also want to limit your consumption of packaged breads, cookies, pasta, frozen meals and other foods that contain a lot of additives, preservatives or chemicals.
Getting Enough Sleep
Sleep is a basic human need that helps repair damage and restore hormone balance. It also helps you function at your best and feel refreshed.
The amount of sleep you need varies based on your age, level of activity and overall health. Most adults need at least seven hours of sleep each night.
Quality sleep is characterized by good sleep latency (how long it takes you to drift off), average or less wakefulness during the night and minimal fragmentation of your sleep cycle. You can check your sleep quality by keeping a sleep diary.
Each night, your body goes through 4 to 5 sleep cycles including periods of deep sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, when dreams occur. Each stage lasts from 10 minutes to an hour.
Staying Active
Regular physical activity, which includes aerobic exercise, muscle strength and stretching, can help your body stay healthy. It can also improve your mood and sleep.
The World Health Organization recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week or 30 minutes of vigorous exercise every day to maintain health. Doing these activities on a regular basis can also reduce your risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced athlete, you can benefit from regular physical activity. Start by walking around the block with friends or family, playing a game of soccer or football during your child’s practice, biking with the kids, playing tag outdoors or taking the dog for a walk.
You can also make it a goal to move more during everyday activities, like using stairs instead of elevators, riding the bus to work or walking your errands. It’s easier than you might think to add more physical activity to your daily routine.