The healthy living world seems to be a fashionable place to be right now. With the media jumping on the bandwagon and the über beautiful and modelesque popular health bloggers ruling the roost, I’m more than concerned that the basic idea of healthy living is being misrepresented. It seems that the perfectionism and courgetti for dinner mindset is being promoted as healthy as opposed to eating a balanced meal that includes a doorstopper-sized wedge of cake for dessert. Health goes far beyond the food that you eat, your emotional health and how you feel about yourself are equally as important in order to be completely healthy and personally, I don’t think that is explored enough by the media. Their focus is all about looking good and the one size fits all approach when the reality is you have to work on the inside first for the outside to truly shine.
Healthy comes in many shapes and sizes, simply what works for one person isn’t going to work for another. Today I thought I would share some of my own miracle mindset shifts focused on balance that has transformed the way that I feel about myself, the food that I eat and the way I live my life for the better. They help me to keep it real, maintain my sanity and most of all help me feel my best!
HEALTH IS SUBJECTIVE AND AN INDIVIDUAL CONCEPT
Firstly, healthy living is such a personal thing, we’re all different and the one size fits all approach just doesn’t work even though the media with have you believe that it does. There’s no right or wrong way to live a healthy lifestyle, there are many ways to find that best version of you that makes you feel incredible.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS BAD FOOD, BUT BAD DIETS
Green smoothies and courgetti are great, but there is nothing wrong with indulging in pizza, doughnuts, and cake too – life would certainly be boring without them! Of course, eating food that is high in saturated fats and refined sugar all day every day is a rocky road to bad health. Incorporating these foods as part of a balanced lifestyle is perfectly fine and they shouldn’t be banned. All food is good, it’s the amounts that are consumed that can make an individual’s diet bad.
DEPRIVATION AND RESTRICTION ARE PROHIBITED
Following on from the point above, deprivation and restriction should be prohibited and they are banned in my house. Food is there to be enjoyed and I’m a massive advocate of feeding the soul, which results in a happy body and mind. Restriction only makes me crave something even more and more often than not in greater amounts compared to if I was eating these foods as an occasional treat. Again, it’s all about finding what works for you when it comes to these foods, but they certainly have a place in the healthy living world.
HEALTH IS ABOUT MORE THAN PHYSICALITY BUT ALSO SPIRITUALITY AND SELF-CARE
Laying the foundations for optimum health goes beyond slogging it in the gym and chugging on green smoothies. What I like to call the Holy Trinity of Healthy Living is something that I’ve been working on this year and that is to look after my mind, body, and soul. This can be achieved through acts of kindness, feeding the soul and nourishing the body. A more rounded approach to health and an appreciation that you need all three to be wholly healthy will help you glow from the inside out.
ACCEPTANCE IS BETTER THAN AVOIDANCE
If there is one common strand that connects everyone in the world, it’s that we all have imperfections. There is nothing wrong with not being perfect, in fact, it’s these flaws that make us who we are – imagine if you didn’t have those curves, stretch marks, birthmarks or wonky nose, would you be the same person that you are today? The quicker you embrace what you perceive to be your flaws, rather than hating yourself for them the quicker you won’t let them hold you back.
So there are my miracle mindset shifts that have helped me practise balance like a pro, or boss depending on which term you prefer. I need cake, pasta, chocolate and pizza in my life, but I also love green smoothies and salads. It’s all about finding that happy balance that allows you to enjoy all these foods that you love, making more space for joy and being kinder to yourself to help nourish your soul and make you happy.
Now that’s my version of healthy!
I love this post I think in many ways our view of health and what is healthy is very twisted these days with our photo-shopped world, we seem to forget what is healthy for one may not be for another, there is no one size fits all so to speak.
Absolutely! We’re all individuals and what works for you isn’t necessarily going to work for me.
I agree with you about pizza and donuts. I think the problem is when people eat them three times a day, every day. Everything in moderation
Precisely, everything in moderation is the right step forward instead of cutting them out completely.
I love everything you have said in this article. People often think that being healthy is all about eating ‘clean food’ and exercising, but often it comes at a cost as people get obsessive about it. Balance, enjoying life and being yourself is so important.
I love your sentiment ‘Balance, enjoying life and being yourself is so important’ – very true!
Balance really is everything – I couldn’t agree with this post more. So many of my friends have got into faddy diets and tried slimming pills etc, and then sit there moaning while I’m eating a pizza or drinking a beer. Everything in moderation I say!
Some of the fads out there are so harmful to our bodies and mental health. You sound like you have a great approach. 🙂
I am happy to read that delicious foods are allowed as well when we try to leave a healthy life. I do try to eat healthy as much as possible but sometimes I just need that sugar rush, that piece of chocolate, that piece of cake. I wouldn’t imagine my life without sweets in it. Or without pizza. 🙂
Well, life would certainly be boring without them. 🙂
I am totally up for courgetti as I love it and it’s very versatile if I can squeeze in a large slice of cake to I would be very happy. A good balance is important.
That’s a great balance right there! 😀
I agree that health is subjective and an individual concept. We have different body types and some foods may be beneficial to others while some may harmful.
Exactly! Diversity is beautiful and we shouldn’t be forced to all be the same.
I totally agree that it can be diets which are bad not food. It isn’t healthy to deprive yourself of everything unhealthy as you’ll resent it x
So true Rhian, in fact, restricting them only makes me crave and eat them more.
I love this post! Being healthy is so much more than just eating ‘clean food’ x
Truth! 🙂 You’re so right.
I really loved everything you wrote in this post. I know I need to change my mindset and relax a lot more instead of getting worked up about trivial things x
You’re not alone in this. Learning to let it all go is a difficult thing to learn, but so worthwhile.
Since having gestational diabetes my whole mindset on what the media portrays as healthy and good has massively changed. My diet HAS to consist of high protein, high fats and a good portion of carbs and no sugar whether that’s natural or not. It’s made me realise what I thought was healthy for me isn’t and what I thought was bad for me isn’t.
So great that you have found what works for you and your body alone. 🙂
I believe being healthy is having a balanced diet. I make sure I eat lots of fruit and vegetables. But I also make sure I still have treats in moderation
Good for you Jenni! I think that’s a great approach to have.
I truly believe that we should enjoy everything in moderation, having a little of what we fancy! 🙂
Absolutely! 🙂
Beautifully said. One of the biggest for me is acceptance. In fact, 2017 my intention has been to treat myself with the same level of kindness I would a friend. I’m not there just yet .. but every little step in that direction leaves me feeling happier and therefore healthier
Thank you! I love that! We are so harsh on ourselves, but remembering to be our own best friend can help us to be kinder and gentler. You’re definitely heading in the right direction.
This is a great article-as someone who’s been struggling with her weight this is a great reminder that I need to stop trying fad diets.
So happy that you found it helpful!
Could not agree with you more on how bad deprecation and banning food can be, if someone can do that and not then crave that specific thing every moment of everyday as I would then I would literally bow down to them. There’s definitely no size fits all with health though, and I definitely think a happy mind makes a difference
I completely understand what you mean! A lot of the time mental health is over looked when talking about healthy living for definite! I definitely feel healthier on the day where I take care of myself more!
I need to take some of these things on board, my all round life has been a bit out of control recently with one thing and another and i feel like I haven’t taken care of myself. x
i agree on the deprivation and restriction! I’ve done this before and it made me so unhappy and affected a lot of things in life. balance is everything
Totally agree with everything in moderation, I love doughnuts and stuff like that but i have them as a treat every now and again instead
Balance is definitely the key to success, especially when trying to diet!
Love this post! So much positivity. I always say that no food is bad, just bad diets and too much of one thing or another xxx
I love this post and thanks for the good information about foods, I love to live healthy