Last updated on October 30, 2023
Over three-quarters of Brits had concerns about their health at the beginning of 2023 according to research from BUPA, with the main concerns being weight, mental health and people not getting enough exercise.
However, while there is a tendency to think of each of these as a separate aspect of our overall health, research suggests that it’s better to look at health holistically rather than treat each element independently.
With this in mind PrecisionBiotics, a leading gut health supplement brand, looked at three aspects of health and asked UK residents when it comes to their overall health, do they prioritise their mind, body or soul?
The message that most people get told a lot is if they ‘eat less and move more’ then this is one way to maintain their physical health and lose weight to become a healthier individual.
Although, more research has revealed that other aspects, such as our gut health, can have an impact on our mental wellbeing as well as our physical health.
For example, Harvard Medical School found that distress caused to a person’s stomach and gut, due to bad health, can be the catalyst for anxiety, stress or depression.
PrecisionBiotics revealed that the majority of respondents from the survey said they somewhat agree that having a good gut health is best for your overall health.
However, over half of the respondents are unaware of the difference between probiotics (live microorganisms that help to improve or restore the gut microbiota) and prebiotics (these are a form of dietary fibre that help to feed your gut).
Across the UK, the survey found a range of responses when seeing how people prioritise their mental, physical and spiritual health.
There was a difference in responses when asked what having good mental health looks like, with 71% of those over 54 choosing handling stressful situations in a healthy way as what makes good mental health.
The most popular answer was sleeping well as a clear sign of having good mental health, 70% of 18 – 24-year-olds chose this option as a priority for maintaining good mental health.
Although, this age group also gave the highest response to having a poor relationship with their mental health.
Lots of Brits referenced taking care of their physical health to also help their mental health, with those aged 45 – over 54s (51%) said they found regular exercise as important to improving their mental health.
Spiritual health was ranked the lowest in terms of being important for maintaining good health.
Just over half of respondents define taking care of their spiritual health as spending time out in nature. Those aged over 54 were the only age bracket to choose gardening as their most popular response for the spiritual activity they like to practise.
When it comes to spirituality, the majority of respondents (46%) said they feel more positive after their spiritual practice.
Overall, prioritising mental health was voted as the most important for ensuring you have good health in general.
