3 Pillars to Health and How to Implement Them Sustainably
Gooooood morning. It’s Sunday, which means that it’s time for Paradox’s weekly blog post. Today we’re covering the 3 fundamental pillars of health: nutrition, movement, and recovery.
You’ve probably heard of them before, but this won’t be the same old rundown. I’ll show you how to actually start applying these pillars to your lifestyle in a simple, sustainable way. You ready? Lets get it.
For the record, I believe all three pillars are essential to health and well-being. Each plays a vital role in supporting both the physical and mental states of an individual.
That said, I do see a hierarchy of importance: nutrition and diet come first, followed by exercise, then rest and recovery.
Allow me to explain why.
Diet comes first because it sets the internal foundation, providing nutrients, energy, hormonal balance (like leptin, ghrelin, insulin, thyroid), and proper system function. Without this, nothing else, not even sleep, can work well or sustainably.
So how should one eat?
Ask the internet, and you'll get wildly different answers. From Andrew Huberman to the Liver King, most offer restrictive, “science-based” diets lacking real principles. It’s always something like “eat this much protein” or “only eat carbs if you trained,” or worse no carbs at all. Sounds like a sad life, so unnecessary.
Meanwhile, millions around the world eat normal, balanced diets without tracking macros, calories, or protein, and live healthy lives, many with low body fat. So clearly, something doesn’t add up. It's like the health gurus dismiss these individuals so that they don't have to explain why this is the case. If they are asked, they all give the same scapegoat answer: genetics. Lol so lazy. Don’t worry, I’ll call it like it is. You deserve the truth.
If you ask me, the answer is to eat intuitively: learn to listen to your body’s needs and cravings (both “healthy” and “unhealthy”), honor them, and eat without guilt.
The best diet is one that makes you feel your best, physically, mentally, and emotionally, while including foods you actually enjoy. If it energizes you, supports well-being, and brings no stress, that’s your ideal diet.
Not the answer most people expect. What you must understand is, much of today’s diet advice isn’t rooted in basic biology, but in personal bias, trends, and financial agendas. Many so-called experts ignore key principles, like the fact that the body wants to be healthy, can regulate its own caloric needs, and adapts to its internal environment.
They treat the body as unintelligent and incapable, as if our biology hasn’t evolved over hundreds of thousands of years. That’s not intelligence, it’s arrogance. Our bodies are smart. They know what we need. Most of us simply need to listen, or more importantly, unlearn what we've been taught to believe is “science” or “fact.”
You don’t need to track calories, your body can handle that. And you certainly don’t need to cut calories, your body needs energy, especially if you want to improve your health. The key is to give your body what it needs, without guilt or shame. The best way to do that is to learn to eat intuitively.
If you want to dive deeper into intuitive eating, I recommend this video by my nutritionist, Lucie Villeneuve, and checking out her YouTube content.
How to go from calorie counting to intuitive eating step by step! | Edukale
Second: exercise. While it may sound obvious, many overlook its full benefits and set unrealistic expectations. In today’s fitness culture, strength training is glorified while cardio is often dismissed. Let me be clear, only cardio and aerobic exercise directly improve heart and lung function, enhance recovery between workouts and sets, boost fat oxidation (even at rest), and help regulate stress levels. The idea that cardio is useless is either ignorance or marketing manipulation. Either way, it’s misleading.
How much cardio is enough to see results? The CDC recommends 150–300 minutes of aerobic activity per week for general health. Less healthy individuals may see benefits closer to 150 minutes, while healthier people might need more, 300 to 420 minutes, for noticeable improvements.
But don’t expect quick results. It often takes 10–12 weeks of consistent cardio (paired with intuitive eating) to see real change. That’s normal. Progress takes time, both short and long term.
The good news? It doesn’t have to be intense. Just enough to elevate your heart rate and break a sweat. Jogging, cycling, rowing, dancing, playing sports, anything works as long as you keep moving. Break sessions up however you like (e.g., two 15-minute runs per day). Most importantly, choose activities you enjoy, not what influencers push.
Regarding strength training, I will cover this in a future post. So make sure you keep coming back every Sunday to see if there is a strength training article!
Lastly, rest is essential. Once you’ve embraced nutrition and exercise, recovery will come more naturally. If you feel the need to rest, don’t see it as laziness. It’s your body’s way of rebuilding. Some days require more rest than others, and that’s normal. A simple rule: if you have the energy to show up, do your best. There’s no perfect workout. If you don’t even have the energy to show up, take the rest you need. Avoid physical and mental fatigue by listening to your body and maintaining a healthy relationship with exercise. The last thing you want is to despise exercise and dread it.
The most important thing I can give you to take away from all of this, is conviction. Conviction that this actually works. Conviction that your body is adaptable, can heal, and truly improve for your well-being. You can do this. I believe you can do this. You may not know what you are capable of. That is okay. The problem is that you will never truly know until you start. The great news is that the blueprint is more or less right here. You have the plan right here, the guess work is gone. It is now just a matter of consistency, and patience. So, to quote from one of my all time favorite movies, “Do you want to take a leap of faith, or become an old man, filled with regret?”
Notice how I haven’t mentioned “discipline” even once. That’s because this journey isn’t about strict discipline. It’s about doing the best you can and giving yourself permission to be imperfect while improving your health and life. Commit to practicing these three pillars for six months with a low-stress mindset and a positive attitude, and I promise your health will be in a much better place. The longer you stick with it and make it a true part of your lifestyle, the more those improvements will compound.
I hope you get to experience just how vibrant, energized, and peaceful life can be, and maintain that with ease for decades when your health is in good order. Until next Sunday!
-Nicho
TL;DR – The 3 Pillars of Health: Nutrition, Movement, Recovery
1. Nutrition: The Foundational Pillar
Nutrition comes first—it fuels the body, regulates hormones, and supports every system.
Mainstream diet advice is often restrictive, biased, and disconnected from biology.
The best diet isn’t a rigid plan—it’s intuitive eating:
Listening to hunger, cravings, and needs without guilt or obsession.
Eating foods you enjoy that leave you feeling energized and mentally at peace.
Tracking calories/macros is not necessary—your body can self-regulate when nourished properly.
Most diet culture undermines trust in the body; intuitive eating restores it.
Dieting isn’t about restriction—it’s about nourishment, balance, and unlearning toxic beliefs.
2. Movement: The Driver of Adaptation
Exercise is essential but misunderstood—especially cardio.
Cardio improves heart/lung function, recovery, fat metabolism, and stress regulation.
Strength training is important too (covered in a future post), but cardio shouldn’t be dismissed.
Recommended cardio dose:
150–300 minutes/week for general health.
Up to 420 minutes/week for stronger results.
Don’t chase quick fixes—expect real progress to take 10–12 weeks.
Choose enjoyable movement—sports, dancing, biking, etc.—and break it into manageable chunks.
3. Recovery: The Integrator
Rest isn’t laziness—it’s essential for rebuilding and avoiding burnout.
Listen to your body’s signals: rest when needed, train when able.
A healthy relationship with movement includes flexibility, not perfection.
Long-term consistency is more important than intensity or strict routine.
Big Picture Takeaways
You don’t need discipline—you need conviction, consistency, and patience.
Your body is intelligent, adaptable, and capable of healing when supported properly.
The guesswork is gone—you now have the blueprint. All that’s left is to start and stick with it.
Give yourself permission to grow imperfectly—this is a low-stress, long-term process.
Practice the three pillars for 6+ months, and your health will significantly improve—for life.
