H - Health is Wealth

We’ve all heard the phrase “health is wealth”. Everyone has their own definition of health based off their upbringing, past experiences, exposure to media, input from others, and more. Despite the countless and unique definitions of health, I think we can all agree that it is important for us to take care of ourselves so we can live the longest, happiest, and best life possible. After all, we’ve only got one body and one life to live in it!

Skinny Craze

I feel like a common, widespread misconception about health is that healthy equals skinny, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I believe the media is mostly to blame for this as we are constantly exposed to weight loss ads, movies or TV shows that portray skinny girls as the most popular and desirable, and stick thin models on the front of magazines that are full of tips to “lose 10 pounds in two weeks” and “diet plans for a flat stomach”. What I find really sad about all of this is that they are advertising the unhealthiest ways to lose weight and sending out a message that implies you need to lose weight if you don’t look like the model on the cover of the magazine. This issue applies to men as well, i.e. if you aren’t as muscular as the guy on the fitness magazine or the actors in the movies then that implies that you aren’t enough of a man. Listen to me when I say this: it’s all complete bologna. Speaking from my own personal experiences, skinny does not mean healthy. When I was struggling with an eating disorder a few years ago, skinny meant malnourished and weak, and it was detrimental to my overall health. My hair got brittle and thinned out (it’s still much thinner than it was before, and I don’t think that’s going to change), my hormonal health was all out of whack (I lost my menstrual cycle – sorry guys, but it’s an important part of being a healthy woman), and I was very weak (not just weak in regards to my muscles and bones, but my mind as well). Jumping forward to today, I know how to properly fuel my body and exercise with the intent to keep my body healthy, not skinny. I know that there is so much more to life than being skinny, and it’s not worth risking your overall health and well-being to get there.

But Wait, There’s More!

The health of your physical body goes beyond its shape and size. While it’s important to not be underweight or overweight, it’s more important that the insides of your body are healthy. Your heart, lungs, and other organs need to be functioning properly, your bones, joints, and muscles need to be in tip top shape, your hormones need to be balanced, etc. I’ve come to realize over the past couple years that while it may feel good to be skinny, it feels much better to have a body that works as it should. I am going to share a few health realizations I’ve had over the past few years and why I think they are important to one’s overall health.

Realization #1: Stretching is Essential—I neglected to properly stretch after my workouts for years, and because of that my body is now a walking knot. My flexibility is nil, I feel a sharp pain when I try to stretch my leg in a certain direction (I should probably get that checked out), and my muscles always seem to be knotted and tight. I haven’t actually lifted weights in months, and these issues still haven’t gone away. One of my main goals is to regularly stretch (even on the days I don’t engage in any physically activity) and to focus on increasing my flexibility through stretching and yoga. Once I reach the point where I feel like my body is properly stretched and flexible, I will start incorporating strength training back into my routine. I’m excited to gain some strength back because I can barely do one push up right now and that is just not ok with me!

Realization #2: No Food is Off Limits—Yes, some foods are less nutritious for you, but that doesn’t mean they are off limits. I allow myself to eat whatever I want in moderation (“in moderation” is key). I try to follow the 80/20 rule (ok, it might be closer to 70/30), which means that 70-80% of the foods that I eat every day are nutritiously dense while the other 20-30% are not. This method works best for me because it allows me to eat what my body truly wants which leaves it feeling happy and satisfied. I’ve found that making certain foods as “off limits” causes my body to feel deprived which leads to overeating, sometimes even bingeing, on very unhealthy foods. I’m not saying this method works for everyone, but it works for me. I strive to eat more of the good stuff and less of the bad stuff, but life is too short to pass up on ice cream dates, pizza parties, grandma’s chocolate chip cookies, and “treat yo self” moments. As long as you’re mindful of portions, you’ll be just fine! So eat foods you actually enjoy, because when you deprive your body, you also deprive your heart, mind, and soul.

Realization #3: Mental Health Matters—Having a stable, happy mind is so important to your overall health, and there are many factors that contribute to your mental health. Here are a few factors that I feel are important to one’s mental health:

• Eating Well + Regular Exercise: When you eat well, you feel well, and exercise gives you endorphins which make you happy! It’s quite the magical combo.

• Healthy Relationships in Life: It’s important for us to have stable, healthy relationships in our lives. Knowing that we have people who are there for us that we can rely on and trust makes life much less stressful and scary.

• Healthy Relationship with Yourself: Self-love is not selfish, it’s necessary. You are the only person who can be there for yourself at all times, so it’s important that you can trust yourself, support yourself, love yourself, and be your own cheerleader. Be kind to yourself, don’t be so hard on yourself, and accept yourself, flaws and all. Accepting and loving yourself doesn’t mean you can’t change or be a work in progress, it just means you choose to look beyond your imperfections. As Sophia Bush perfectly states, “You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress, simultaneously.”  

• Do Things You Enjoy: Don’t’ do things you dislike out of obligation, pressure from others, or pressure from the media. When you choose to start living your life for you and in the way that you want, you will be happier and in a better state of mind. I’ve come to realize that my mental health is just as important as my physical health and I’ve adapted my life accordingly. For example, I’ve cut back on my time spent in the gym and have increased my time spent outdoors hiking, walking, biking, swimming, etc. Why? Because being outdoors keeps my heart healthy and my soul happy. Find what feeds your soul, and go after it!   

Trying to summarize what it means to be healthy in one blog post is not easy. I definitely could have written in much more depth and touched on many more topics, but I hope that what I’ve chosen to talk about makes sense. The definition of healthy is different for each and every one of us, but I just want you all to remember that being healthy is so much more than the way your body looks—your insides matter, too!