What Does 'Health' Really Mean?

Here's a slightly edited version of the transcript if you prefer to read! Enjoy :)

"Health is not a singular achievement—it’s a lifelong practice. We don’t “win” health or achieve it once and for all. It’s something we must choose to maintain every day through the decisions we make for ourselves and those around us."

Most people consider health to be merely the absence of disease, and this is certainly the perspective of the Western medical system. However, health extends far beyond that—it includes energy levels, focus, strength, athleticism, and vitality. Ideally, we want to achieve the greatest level of health with the least amount of input. But what exactly is health? Everyone has a general sense of what it means, yet when you try to define it in one sentence, you’ll quickly realize it’s not so simple.

The goal of this article is to answer two fundamental questions: What is health? And why do we even want to be healthy? On the surface, these may seem like obvious questions, but the answers are far from straightforward. As mentioned, most people define health as the absence of disease, but this is like saying that simply passing a test makes you a genius—without considering whether you barely scraped by with a C- or excelled with an A+. Another flawed way of thinking about health is assuming that just because we engage in behaviours labeled as “healthy,” we are truly healthy. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if the most educated nutritionist claims a food is a superfood—if eating it causes digestive distress, it’s not healthy for you. No amount of charts, studies, or explanations about its nutrients will change that reality.

Because of this, I try to avoid using absolute terms like “healthy” or “unhealthy,” or “good” or “bad” when discussing nutrition, lifestyle habits, or exercise. That said, I do believe some things are universally unhealthy—for example, consuming arsenic in certain quantities. But generally, everyone responds differently to various interventions, and those individual differences matter when determining whether something is truly beneficial for health. While experts (myself included) discuss things that are generally considered healthy, the reality is that there’s no substitute for personal trial and error. There is no universal prescription for health. However, we can discuss common principles that apply to most people and explore the key outcomes that contribute to a healthy life.

So, what is health?

This is a surprisingly difficult question to answer, largely due to the issue of time frame. For instance, if we say health is about feeling good, but we also assume exercise is good for us, how do we reconcile the fact that exercise doesn’t always feel good while we’re doing it? The most practical way to think about health is to ask: Are the actions I take daily leading my body to regenerate or degenerate over time? Exercise, for example, involves a short-term breakdown of the body in exchange for long-term regeneration and improvement.

Health isn’t a single factor—it’s a combination of desirable outcomes. These include energy levels, focus, strength, athleticism, vitality, patience, critical thinking, tissue regeneration, physical durability, and even social and emotional well-being. The list could go on, but the point is that health is about much more than just avoiding illness.

To make this more practical, consider these questions:

• Do I wake up feeling energized and excited to take on the day?

• Do pain, discomfort, or injuries prevent me from doing the activities I love?

• Do I frequently experience digestive issues like bloating, constipation, or diarrhea?

• Do I struggle with anxiety or depression?

• Does my daily stress accumulate to the point of burnout?

• Do I feel grateful for and enjoy my relationships?

  
  

This is not an exhaustive list, but it helps assess different aspects of health. These questions connect to what I call the Five Levers of Health: movement, nutrition, sleep, psychology, and social connections. In future videos, I’ll dive deeper into each of these and how they allow us to optimize health. The key idea here is that these are the areas where we can apply inputs to achieve better health outcomes. And when we talk about “leverage,” we mean getting the maximum output for the least input—achieving the best results with the most efficient effort.

Health is not a singular achievement—it’s a lifelong practice. We don’t “win” health or achieve it once and for all. It’s something we must choose to maintain every day through the decisions we make for ourselves and those around us.

Now, let’s address an important question:

Why is health even important?

We talk about it all the time and assume it’s valuable, but do we really understand the impact of being healthy? This is where things become a bit philosophical. The truth is, everything in life improves when we’re healthy, and conversely, everything worsens when we’re unhealthy. If you value living life to its fullest potential, then prioritizing health is non-negotiable. Why would you want to experience life at only 70% of your potential when you could be thriving at 100%? We only get one body and one life—why waste it by neglecting our health?

Moreover, our health affects not only ourselves but also those around us. It influences our relationships, our ability to contribute to our community, and even our emotional state. Poor health can make us irritable with loved ones, too exhausted to play with our kids, or too drained to be fully present in our daily lives. If we care about ourselves, our families, our careers, and our responsibilities, we owe it to ourselves and those around us to be at our best. And the most reliable way to do that is by building a strong foundation of health.

Optimizing vs Maximizing

One final point I want to discuss is the difference between optimizing and maximizing. In the Western world, we often focus on maximizing rather than optimizing. But when it comes to health and vitality over the long term, optimization—not maximization—is the goal. That doesn’t mean pushing ourselves to the absolute limit with as many workouts as possible or completely cutting out every indulgence. True optimization is about balancing benefits with trade-offs.

For example, excessive exercise can leave us fatigued rather than energized, and total dietary restriction can lead to unnecessary stress. Eating pizza every day may lead to digestive issues and chronic inflammation, but never allowing yourself a slice might create unnecessary social or psychological stress. The key question is: At what point do we get the maximum benefit with the least negative trade-off? Understanding where the optimal balance lies on any given spectrum is essential for making consistent, sustainable health choices. And crucially, what’s optimal for one person may not be ideal for another.

If you’ve made it through this article, you’re clearly someone who values your health and wants to make the most of your life. I hope this article helped you reflect on your own habits and inspired you to take action toward improving your health.