Dear Tom Treutlein,
To reply your question in specific:
"The most important aspects of health and wellness - what do you think they entail?"
There are several schools of thought in this regard. I am assuming your preoccupation is with quality of life and longevity. The question of wellness is generally, the departure from the medical paradigm of being disease and pain free to a paradigm of feeling physically, mentally and spiritually complete.
In one sentence, traditional healthcare is about making ends meet, while wellness care is about being wealthy.
Some websites you might wish to visit include:
www.lef.org
www.drumlib.com
Religion often plays a great part in this wellness paradigm, but this is perhaps, a sensitive topic and you can easily find information on religion at your local church/temple/shrine/holy cave/sacred mountain etc.
To answer your questions in specific:
1. No use of substances (cigarettes, alcohol, various drugs).
Tobacco use is a definite no-no. But alcohol is a bit of an iffy. Wine consumption has certain healthful benefits but only if taken in moderation. Drugs again, are an iffy unless you are taking known street-type drugs that have no justification whatsoever.
2. Cardiovascular activity 2-3x weekly for a duration of 15-20 minutes minimum to maintain heart health (accurate?).
Currently, in Australia, the government has a "Find Thirty" campaign. Their rationale is, thirty minutes of "exercise" is sufficient for good health. I would define exercise as the conscious undertaking of intentional physical activity, with benefits arising when the body's ability of adapting to such imposed stress results in improved nutrient partitioning and/or physical performance.
In short, exercise is a necessary evil.
As for 15-20 minutes of aerobic activity three times a week for heart health, we first must ask: "How healthy is my heart?" On a personal note, I don't do any "aerobics" at all. I do lift weights very often, and I know my heart is in extremely good condition going by my vital signs at rest. Furthermore, I do wonder how 30 minutes a day is going to help anyone non sedentary - a stroll in the park just isn't going to cause surfacing of the insulin-independent GLUT 4 glucose transporters.
3. Adequate EFAs (1:1 ratio of O63 if possible, 2g EPA/DHA roughly) daily.
www.udoerasmus.com gives an indication of the ideal O3:O6 ratio. In reality, it's hard to maintain a perfect ratio and it is easier to just supplement with fish oils. The Supplement FAQ here gives an indication of how much fish oils to take - 6gm per day tops I think, from memory.
4. At least 30g of fiber daily.
Faecal bulk is necessary to prevent aberrent growth of the viscera and for ease of colonic voiding. The issue of fiber is over-hyped though, and this shouldn't be concern as long as you are not straining to void.
5. Rounded consumption of phytonutrients from fruits and vegetables daily.
Whatever is in season and plenty of it. I have an inclination towards cruciferous vegetables too. Usually, I'd have half a dozen of tomatoes, two heads of ice-berg lettuce and a head of cabbage every day. I might have fruit on top of that. I have the luxury of buying my fruit and vegetables at wholesale prices, and obviously, eating like this gives me plenty of fibre. There is no need for Weetbix or any such "high-fibre" cereal type nonsense that is really meant for horses and all such hindgut fermenters.
6. At least half a gallon (probably more) water daily.
In the past, eight glasses of water a day was the recommendation. From there, people have swung to the extreme and there are reports of hyponatraemia from drinking too much water. Currently, it is accepted that we drink according to how thirsty we feel rather than in anticipation of thirst, unless of course, we are preparing for some physically demanding event where pre-event hydration was of essence.
I'm not sure if I had answered your questions at all. I really was thinking aloud than anything else.
Godspeed, and happy HSTing
3 if possible, 2g EPA/DHA roughly) daily.
