The 5 Pillars of Wellbeing

I want you to imagine a house. A beautiful house. One with gorgeously long linen curtains, a fresh new paint job, that cloud couch you've seen at least a hundred times on Pinterest.

Now, I want you to imagine that beneath all the bells and whistles sadly the wood is eroding away from termite damage, there's mould in the walls, and the concrete slab the house was built on has significant cracks that need repair.

How would you fix this? Would you buy more beautiful furniture and sleek rugs to cover up the damage? Or, would you invest in finding the root cause so that two years from now the house doesn't just collapse from right underneath you.

I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this. Yes, by house, I'm referring to your body. That body that you only get one of. And in a world fuelled by nutrition noise from nasal tape to biohacking, believe it or not none of those (and I mean, none of those) will matter if you haven't got the foundations right.

So today, I'm bringing things back to basics for you with the five key pillars of wellbeing I get every client to prioritise first and foremost. They sound simple, but they are not to be underestimated... and if everyone had these pillars down pat, well, to put it quite simply – I would be out of a job.

This article is not about optimisation. It’s about foundations – and learning to walk before we run.

The unglamorous yet deeply effective habits that quietly determine your energy, metabolism, mood, hormones, gut health, and longevity – whether you pay attention to them or not.

So, let’s dive in. No fluff. No detox teas. Just science, consistency and strategies that work.

Pillar 1: Protein – The Longevity Macronutrient

Protein is not just for gym bros.

It is the macronutrient for:

• Preserving muscle mass

• Supporting metabolic health

• Protecting bone density

• Ageing well (and independently)

After the age of 30, we begin losing muscle mass at a rate of 3-8% per decade (1). This accelerates to 5-10% after the age of 50. This process, known as sarcopenia, is strongly associated with frailty, insulin resistance, falls, fractures and loss of independence later in life. Muscle is 5x more metabolically active than fat, meaning it burns more calories at rest! So maintain muscle mass is pivotal for our longterm metabolic health.

In clinic when working with clients I typically recommend a protein intake of 1.6-2.2 g per kg of body weight, per day to support muscle preservation and function, particularly in women (2, 3). For an 80kg person, this is anywhere from 128-176g of protein per day... and for reference, one egg only has 6g of protein. (Yep, that's a lot of eggs you'd need!)

When most clients come to see me, they're barley hitting half of this.

Protein is also critical for:

• Hormone production

• Neurotransmitters

• Immune function

• Satiety and blood sugar regulation

• Cravings management (if you struggle with 3pm sugar cravings, increase your protein at breakfast! This is the no.1 way to curb this)

Take-home tips: 

1. Use an app like MyFitnessPal to track your protein intake every 2-3 months and see where you're averaging

2. Aim for a large palm size amount of lean protein at every meal (think fish, chicken, turkey, red meat, eggs, tofu, tempeh, legumes and dairy)

3. Have at least 2 sources of protein at each meal – this helps ensure you're getting a variety of amino acids, the building blocks of protein! e.g. chicken + cottage cheese or tofu + chickpeas

Pillar 2: Fibre – The Missing Link

Only 72% of Aussie adults and 58% of children consume an adequate amount of fibre each day (4). That is an alarmingly high number.

The recommended daily intake is 30g fibre for men and 25g for women. To put this into perspective, one medium apple has around 4.5g of fibre. For context, however, in the ancestral diet (think way back in caveman days!) humans were known to eat upwards of 100g of fibre per day! (5). Considering we now aren't even consistently hitting the bare 25-30g a day is something to stay closely aware of.

Fibre intake is directly linked to:

• Gut microbiome diversity – meaning a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria

• Bowel regularity (yes, we’re talking about regular number 2's!)

• Lowering and managing cholesterol levels

• Blood sugar control

• Hormone clearance (particularly oestrogen)

Higher fibre intakes are also associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer and all-cause mortality.

But here’s the part most people miss; fibre isn't just a numbers game, it’s also about diversity. The classic 5 veg and 2 fruit per day we're encouraged to have simply isn't enough! Below are my take-home tips to help you hit your target.

Take-home tips: 

• Aim for 4–5 cups of non-starchy vegetables per day

• Opt for 30–40 different plant-based foods per week (veggies, legumes, etc)

• Consume a variety of cooked and raw foods – this impacts fibre, starch and nutrient content! For example, stewed apples have a higher pectin content than raw apples (pectin is a soluble fibre!)

This diversity feeds different strains of gut bacteria, increasing short-chain fatty acid production which are compounds that reduce inflammation, support gut barrier integrity and even influence brain health.

Pillar 3: Move More (No, I'm not just talking about the gym!)

Whilst there is no doubt that planned exercise sessions ranging from 30-90 mins in most cases are excellent for building muscle, supporting cardiovascular health, utilising glucose and simply getting us out, about and moving – what I always bring my client's attention to first is something even more important than this.

It's the time spent sitting or laying, every single day.

One-third of the global population aged 15 years and older engages in insufficient physical activities

So, I want you to do a little exercise for me to start; reflect on your week and tally up how many hours you spend sedentary overall (sleeping, sitting, laying down). For most office workers I support in clinic, this is upwards of 20 hours of the day.

I've heard some experts liken being sedentary to smoking in terms of the long-term health implications it can have, and when you think about the way humans were designed to live (hunting and gathering their food, walking for transport, spending time moving often and outdoors) – it is easy to see how this drastic shift in our lifestyle would be impacting us.

Sedentary behaviour is independently associated with increased risk of:

• Cardiovascular disease

• Type 2 diabetes

• All-cause mortality

And this risk exists even in people who exercise regularly.

The solution? Increasing incidental movement. Walking while on calls. Standing up every 30–60 minutes. Parking further away. Stretching while dinner cooks. Taking the groceries in one bag at a time.

These tiny movements improve:

• Glucose uptake

• Circulation

• Lymphatic flow

• Joint health

• Muscle and cardiovascular health

Take-home tips:

• When spending time being sedentary (whether that be at work or just on the couch) set a timer to stand up and move for 2-3 mins every 30-40 minutes

• Keep track of your steps, these can help provide a baseline understanding of your incidental movement each day – aiming for 7.5k steps a day is an excellent start

• Spend more time walking and less time using transport options – wherever you can make this switch, do it; for example go for the stairs instead of elevators, walking to the shops instead of driving, getting off the bus or train one stop earlier to walk the remaining distance

Pillar 4: Sleep – The Master Regulator

Sleep is the first area we take from when busy. But let me ask you this, would you trust a pilot to fly a plane sleep deprived? Even if they promised you they loved flying? Of course not! It doesn't matter how much they enjoy being a pilot, you would not want them in charge of that plane.

And guess what? You are the pilot of your life.

The notion of "sleep when you're dead" is one I simply can't subscribe to. Contrary to what we're often taught, sleep is not something that you can just catch up on later. It's a non-negotiable.

Poor sleep disrupts:

• Insulin sensitivity – there's research that insulin resistance can occur after just one night of sleep deprivation! (6)

• Appetite-regulating hormones (ghrelin and leptin)

• Cortisol rhythms (stress hormone!)

• Immune function

• Mood

For women, inadequate sleep is even associated with:

• Early onset of menopause

• Increased PMS and perimenopausal symptoms

• Greater central fat accumulation (fat around the mid-section)

Take-home tips:

• Aim for 7-9 hours sleep per night – bonus if you can get to bed by 9-10pm each night, this promotes deep sleep

• Prioritise consistent sleep and wake times (less than 1 hour difference each day)

• Exposure to morning light – this helps increase wakefulness hormones, you want this light to hit your eyes (take off the sunglasses in the A.M!)

• Reduced blue light and stimulation at night – turn off your phone and the news at least 3 hours before bed, additionally use dim lights only in the evening

Pillar 5: Water & Electrolytes – The Fundamentals

Hydration is one of the most underestimated drivers of wellbeing – and the standard 2L a day isn't cutting it anymore.

We all know it's important, but what not enough people accomodate for is the simple things consistently dehydrating us and depleting our electrolytes, day in and day out.

For example :

Have you ever felt stressed? Cortisol depletes our electrolytes.

Have you ever drank coffee? Caffeine can dehydrate the body.

It's not just exercise and sweat dehydrating us, it's the chaos and demands of the modern world – and it's dehydrating us on a cellular level.

There are few things we do more frequently than drink water, so with my client's I am always looking for ways we can optimise this water with added electrolytes and microminerals. Think of your water intake as an opportunity to help maximise wellbeing, at all hours of the day.

Take-home tips:

• Aim for at least 3L of water per day, minimum

• For every 1 hour of exercise, replace at least 0.5-1L of water lost from sweat

• Opt for naturally electrolyte and mineral-rich water (such as alkalife)

• For every 1 caffeinated drink have at least 2 glasses of water

The Takeaway

There we have it! The five pillars that aren't the fancy trends you want to hear, but the foundations you need to. Like I said at the start, there isn't a single client I've worked with to date where we haven't started with these five things – and I've had the privilege of supporting thousands of clients along their journey.

Once you have these in balance, you should find everything else gets a little easier, a little lighter and a whole lot better.

Start with one.

Build slowly.

Go from there.

You've got this.

Love, Lani x

Please note: This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare professional before making changes to your diet or lifestyle.

References:

1. Volpi, E., Nazemi, R., & Fujita, S. (2004). Muscle tissue changes with aging. Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care, 7(4), 405–410. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.mco.0000134362.76653.b2

2. Wu G. (2016). Dietary protein intake and human health. Food & function, 7(3), 1251–1265. https://doi.org/10.1039/c5fo01530h

3. Morton, R. W., Murphy, K. T., McKellar, S. R., Schoenfeld, B. J., Henselmans, M., Helms, E., Aragon, A. A., Devries, M. C., Banfield, L., Krieger, J. W., & Phillips, S. M. (2018). A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British journal of sports medicine, 52(6), 376–384. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608

4. Kelinamiller. (2025, August 7). Dietary fibre: the unsung health hero. Retrieved from https://hw.qld.gov.au/blog/dietary-fibre-the-unsung-health-hero/

5. Eaton S. B. (2006). The ancestral human diet: what was it and should it be a paradigm for contemporary nutrition?. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 65(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1079/pns2005471

6. Donga, E., van Dijk, M., van Dijk, J. G., Biermasz, N. R., Lammers, G. J., van Kralingen, K. W., Corssmit, E. P., & Romijn, J. A. (2010). A single night of partial sleep deprivation induces insulin resistance in multiple metabolic pathways in healthy subjects. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 95(6), 2963–2968. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2009-2430