Pain Specialist Doctor Reveals Secret to Wellness: Maintaining the ‘Five Pillars of Health’

The modern health care landscape is a wide array of services and specialties, treatments and technologies. And yet, with all this innovation, the fundamentals of health remain simple and constant: eat right, exercise, learn to cope with stress.

Dr. Damon Noto, a New Jersey-based doctor who specializes in pain management, rehabilitation, and health optimization, encourages patients to embrace these fundamentals. Many feel inundated by the wealth of health advice out there and don’t know where to start. To keep patients on track, Noto works from what he calls the five pillars of wellness: hydration, nutrition, activity, stress management, and sleep. 

“No matter what the ailment or injury, if these five pillars are strong, people have the best chance to heal quickly,” he said.

Hydration

Thirst often drives our impulse to hydrate. But we’ve already become dehydrated when signs of thirst appear. Research shows that adult men require three to four liters of fluid a day. For women, it’s about two-and-half to three liters a day. This is the amount of fluid necessary to keep the body running smoothly.  

But if you frequently go to the gym or work outdoors in a physically demanding job, you would need to drink more. 

Failure to hydrate adequately has consequences. “There are many studies out there which show when people are dehydrated over a chronic period of time, it shortens lifespan,” Noto said. 

Nutrition

Noto recommends a diet that is packed with nutrients. This means food that is locally grown, in season, and unprocessed. Noto says the advice of “eat the rainbow” to consume foods of different colors ensures that you are getting a diversity of nutrients.

He also advises people to check with their doctors to ensure that their bodies are absorbing nutrients properly.

Activity

There is a strong body of research which shows that physical activity helps with weight management, reduces the risk of chronic disease and depression, strengthens muscles and bones, and keeps you able-bodied as you age. Noto points to studies which show that people can see health improvements with a daily activity equivalent of about 6,000 steps a day.

But one major stumbling block is a lack of real motivation. Noto noticed that when his patients were being tracked on their progress, they became much more invested. “When someone sees that they’re feeling better, losing weight, or getting more energy, that leads to motivation to want to do more,” he said. 

Sleep

Sleep is when our body goes into repair mode, renewing the wear and tear of mind and body so that we may tackle another day.  Noto said the general benchmark for most adults is seven to nine hours of sleep per night to fully recover from the rigors of waking life. 

Noto recommended that people develop an “unwinding” ritual in order to get deep sleep. Shut off your phone, computer, or TV 35 to 45 minutes before you want to go to sleep. Create some darkness in the room. Get in bed prior to wanting to fall asleep so that your body starts to relax.

Stress

Chronic stress can contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and stroke.

But some stress may actually be good for us. Noto points to longevity studies showing that some people with longer lifespans actually had more stress in their lives. Researchers found that though these people had difficult jobs, they found purpose and value in them. The key difference was their mindset. “The message is that stress itself isn’t the enemy. It’s your thought process. How do you perceive what you’re going through? … Your mindset and thinking towards that stress is the biggest factor in determining whether it’s going to be a good thing or a bad thing,” he said, adding that studies have shown a connection between optimism and healthy outcomes.

This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.