What does healthy really mean?

      Hello! I feel like so many people go through life and pursue "health" without even knowing what it means. It's so important that you understand, health is not just defined by what we eat. Yes, what we put in our body is part of our health but most importantly, how we feel, move, and think also make up our health. What we eat affects how we feel, and how we think affects how we eat and move. How we move should not be based on what we eat. Exercise is only healthy when it's done in an enjoyable, no strings attached kind of way. This could look different for everyone. It might mean running for some or just some relaxed yoga for others. In this stage of my life, I do not enjoy working out, going to the gym, or running long distances. But, I do like to play tennis, dance, bike ride, and go on long walks. Those are ways I like to move my body, in a way that makes me feel good. You might say you feel "good" after forcing yourself to go to the gym at 4:00 am. And hey, if you do enjoy waking up that early to workout, by all means go for it, but that's not for all of us.

      Quit exercising to see a certain number of calories burned. For me to quit doing this, it looked like me taking off the activity rings off the the front face of my apple watch and quit logging in every activity I did. Instead, I replaced it with a picture of me and a bestie. This is to remind me what’s important in life (friends) over what’s not (aka calories, exersice, etc.) Do what you have to do, but you will get no where if your doing it for calories. Trust me, I've been there and I know it's hard, but I believe in you; you can do it! ALSO, if you start exercising and you just do not what to be doing it, please quit, Just stop and go home. I can't even count how many times I've done that and IT IS OKAY. You have permission to only move when you truly feel like moving and you can still have the cake even if you don't. I used to force myself to run a lot and when I quit forcing myself, I realized I really don't even like running. I like to play tennis, dance, and go on long walks and I can do those things mindfully and still find them enjoyable.

        

       Eat what you want. I know it's not as simple as it seems but giving yourself permission to eat what you are craving is key to intuitive eating. No one else knows your body better than you, so why should they tell you what to eat? If your body is craving pizza, it is so much healthier to just eat pizza than forcing yourself to eat a salad. This is restriction. Restriction leads to unhealthy thoughts, bingeing, and guilt. Think about it, would you feel more guilty just eating the pizza and moving on or eating a salad then eating a whole bag of m & m's later than you aren't hungry for or craving, just because you weren't satisfied? Eating "healthy" is not healthy.



    There are no "good or bad" labels on food. Food is fuel. Instead of fearing calories, say to yourself, "calories are awesome." I mean think about it, more calories = more energy! That is awesome because that means I can do more with more energy. Not just exercising but I can love on my people more. Calories don't define the health of the food. Everybody is different, the foods I need for me to be healthy might look different than it does for you.