Do you picture health as those skinny muscular ladies you see on TV? Or maybe the ones you see in a bikini at the pool?
I know I always did and I worked my butt off to look just like them. Thinking to feel good, balanced and energized, that’s what I should look like. I never quite got there, frankly my body just wasn’t built that way.
The harder I worked, eating all the right foods, never having what I considered to be the good stuff, I still never hit what I pictured as “healthy”. It frustrated me to no end.
It took me years to understand what “healthy” actually meant.
What Health Actually Looks Like
So what does healthy look like?
I’ve come to learn, healthy isn’t a “look”, it’s a state of being that encompasses your entire being.
It’s about having energy, feeling good, and having a clear happy mind. It’s also about having a calmer reactions to the outside world and most importantly, good restful sleep.
Don’t get me wrong, your body has to be well too. But if you have the things I’ve mentioned above, the side effect is health.
If we actually listened to what our body wanted, we would naturally be balanced, grounded and energized. But we have influences that can lead us down other paths.
The Truth Most People Miss
You can’t separate your mind, body and your daily life. Each of these has a profound effect on the other.
My mind can make me just as sick as any virus can. Think about a time you were stressed. There was so much on your mind you couldn’t sleep well, you couldn’t eat well or your stomach was upset and you had body aches from tight muscles.
I know I’ve been there. There have been times in my life where the stress controlled everything.
We’ve been trained all our lives to only think of what we eat and drink as what affects our health. But the choices of what we take in mentally, or how we let frustration, stress, or anger sit with us has just as much impact.
I’ve learned our brains are made to protect us. It creates patterns, otherwise known as habits. Habits keep us from having to work or think too hard to get through a day.
It steers us away from doing something different and making decisions we know are necessary but may be hard to make, to protect us. But sometimes those hard decisions and that something different can make our lives better in the long run.
What I’ve Learned
It’s taken me years to figure out how I can work to control my mind and redirect my thoughts to feel the healthiest I’ve felt in years.
That’s not to say I’m in the best shape of my life. But the consequence of learning this is trending me toward a more balanced lifestyle. Which in turn is leading me to a healthier body.
Learning that I can make the decision that I’m a healthy, fit person who loves life has naturally supported me in making better decisions without a whole lot of effort.
I find I just want to eat better, do better and enjoy things that make me happy, not dwelling on irritation or negativity.
Herbal Support & Whole Foods
Part of that support for me comes from the things I choose to surround myself with every day. Herbs are simply a part of my everyday life. Learning to use them in a number of different ways is one of those things that makes me happy. And I really enjoy herbal teas.
I’ve learned to add herbs to my foods, giving what I eat that extra boost.
Nettles is a wonderfully mineral rich nutritious food like herb. But I’m not a fan of the taste. Knowing its benefits though, I learned it makes an amazing iced tea if you add oat straw (great for your nervous system) or red clover (an herb for balance). Using these as an herbal infusion I can get the best of both worlds. I get a taste I enjoy and all the nutrition these herbs have to offer.
Whole foods is another way I get my “herbal support” in. Most people don’t realize whole fruits and veggies are just as medicinal and protective to our bodies as the traditional green leafy herbs you usually think about.
The whole food gives you everything it has to offer. As opposed to the processed foods, that takes bits & pieces of these foods by-passing the fiber and other healthy constituents that can also have a big impact on your body.
Processed foods add so many chemicals and colors to make it look good, last longer and taste better. MSG & Red dye are great examples of those types things.
My Message For You
What I’ve learned way too late in my life is that healthy isn’t the perfect body. It’s the state of feeling supported, feeling good in your own skin, and feeling calm, relaxed and confident.
And realizing there will be bad days along with the good. But that we can bring ourselves out of the bad days and get back to a happy and fulfilling life that we can love and enjoy.
That’s healthy.
What does feeling healthy actually look like for you?
