The Four Doctor model to aid in optimum health

The 4 Doctors

C.H.E.K Practitioners like myself are taught to work with the original 4 Doctors. The key to any successful health and fitness program is to pay a visit to these 4 experts every day. The 4 Doctors are Dr. Quiet, Dr. Diet, Dr. Happiness and Dr. Movement.

Pay a visit to Dr Diet

What it means: Eat less processed foods and drink more water. Your body is composed of trillions of cells. Where do they come from? They come from the foods that you consume. Most people eat too many refined carbohydrates, preservatives and additives. Minimising these from your diet will immediately boost your health. Increasing your water intake will help you physically, mentally and emotionally. There are 10 billion biochemical reactions per second in the human body and they’re all water-dependent. A dehydrated central nervous system can contribute to emotional, physical and mental issues. Get it right today: Start drinking a minimum of 2 litres of clean spring water. This is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Preparing nutritious meals with grass-fed meat and dairy, organic fruit and vegetables are close seconds in importance.

2

Check in with Dr Quiet

What it means: Make room for more “me” time. The most important thing to understand is we all run off a system that is powered by what can be likened to rechargeable batteries. Regular quiet time helps us refuel so we can get on with the things we need to do to achieve our dreams, without burning out along the way. To honour our need to rest and recharge, the C.H.E.K system recommends sleep between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am. Also, 20 to 30 minutes of active or passive rest during the day is remarkably vital. Passive rest is something your body is not actively involved in, but you are consciously aware of, like meditation; and active rest is a light activity. Get it right today: Spend 20 minutes meditating or doing a “mindful” activity such as yoga, Qi Gong or Tai Chi. Go to bed 30 minutes earlier than usual for extra total rest.

3

Say hello to Dr Movement

What it means: Be more active, but “smart” active. You are composed of 70-80% water and when the water in your body stops moving, this is the day you die. We weren’t designed to sit behind a desk for eight hours every day. What we want is to get the body pumping. To achieve health, we must get away from the modern corporate warrior and closer to that of our ancestors. Our hunter and gatherer ancestors would have been active for three to four hours per day, with long walks and short bursts of intense energy. if you exercise properly, 30 minutes is more than enough time to sustain optimal health and well-being. If you’re just getting started, however, it’s important you don’t exercise too hard, too soon. If you do too much too quickly, you will run your battery flat. Make sure you understand your food choices and quiet time activities are the things that give you the right energy to work with Dr Movement. Get it right today: Spend 30 to 60 minutes a day exercising, including your warm-up and stretches, and write a plan to keep it in your schedule throughout 2014. Start with a low-intensity program such as walking, tai chi, yoga or swimming. Build up to higher-intensity workouts that include weight resistance and interval training.

4

Get to know Dr Happiness

What it means: Determine and respect your core values. Unhappiness is often the result of making decisions that don’t support your core values. There is a saying: “Those that have a big enough dream do not have time for a crisis.” When you identify your core values around quiet time, work, health, family and friends, it’s easier to make optimal decisions that will help you find happiness. Making poor decisions causes stress, and chronic levels of stress can manifest itself physically in the form of excess fat, fatigue, anxiety and disease. Underlying stress produces excess amounts of cortisol and keeps the adrenals working overtime. When the body is in a constant state of flight or fight, it holds onto fat because it thinks it will need excess reserves of energy. Get it right today: Ask what value you place on your health, personal time and work. Use your new awareness to decide what to spend your time and money on. Ask, “Will this move me closer to my overall life goal?”

Be aware of your “four doctors” throughout the day. Have you made good food choices? Have you met Dr Quiet when you notice you’re a little flat and need recharging?