My Top 5 Tips for Being As Healthy As Possible
Our health is truly everything. Without it, we can’t live the abundantly beautiful and fulfilling lives that we deserve to live!
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic though, I’ve seen a lot of people come to the realization that they haven’t been taking care of their health as well as they would like to. Honestly, it makes sense that a global pandemic is acting as a huge wakeup call to people across the globe. Health is wealth!
I personally care about my health - a lot. And I used to read lists like these all the time to try to figure out the BEST tips, habits, rituals, and tricks for optimal wellness.
I remember reading some “top health tips” lists that included advice like:
Only eat berries, limit high sugar fruit
Eat your carbs in the morning
Start your day with a protein-rich breakfast
Limit all alcohol and white sugar
Stop eating at least 3 hours before bed
Drink 3 liters of water a day
And the lists would go on and on with “nutrition advice” that I took as the truth.
I started implementing an extremely strict regimen with all (it literally felt like 100) the rules and tips that I had been collecting. If I was going to be “healthy”, I was going to WIN at being healthy.
After years of implementing these strict rules and not exactly feeling my best (hello anxiety, restriction, poor body image, jealousy) I started on my own healing journey and founded my food freedom practice centered on Eating with Love & Intuition℠.
I still love health and wellness. I still aim to take care of my health and make aligned choices daily. I still prioritize my wellbeing.
The big difference between my list of tips and those that I used to read in my disordered eating days? FLEXIBILITY AND FLOW.
When I used to read those lists of health tips on Google, Instagram, and Pinterest, I thought that they all applied to and worked for every human being. But the amazing thing is that humans are unique with intricacies and specific needs and preferences! The other wonderful fact is that our bodies actually know WAY more than those Pinterest graphics do!! Therefore, the lists are total BS if you take them at face value.
What if I want bananas and mangos and pineapple? Does that make me unhealthy?
What if I’m craving pasta for dinner? Does that make me unhealthy?
What if I want a carb-rich breakfast without a protein focus? Does that make me unhealthy?
What if I choose to drink a margarita with friends and get ice cream for dessert? Does that make me unhealthy?
What if I eat a snack right before bed? Does that make me unhealthy?
What if I only drink 2 liters of water today? Does that make me unhealthy?
I can proudly say that the answer to all of those questions is a big fat NO! You can eat/drink/move/do what feels most aligned to your unique body (ice cream and pasta and margaritas included!) and still be your absolute healthiest self - win win!
So, what does My Top 5 Tips for Being As Healthy As Possible list look like? Let’s take a look!
Make choices for your holistic health. Being healthy isn’t just about the physical body. It’s also about your mental health, emotional health, and spiritual health. If you’re ignoring any one of those components, you won’t be activating your highest potential. Take a look at the “healthy habits” that you currently have in place. Do they address all components of your health? Do they disproportionately focus on one area? Do they completely leave out an entire aspect of your health? Human beings are holistic beings - let’s look at the whole picture of YOU!
Release the obsession. Letting go of obsessive thoughts about food, exercise, and weight is an extremely important and life changing healing process to go through. When your mind is constantly thinking about food, worrying about your choices, and trying to calculate the next best bite, you’re going to be left feeling exhausted, confused, stressed, doubtful, and anxious. This is not an empowering state for your mental health. When you allow for flexibility and flow in your routines, you’ll be able to release the obsession, develop body trust, and find more carefree ease with your food and body.
Stay in your own lane. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of “shiny object syndrome” when it comes to your health. This can look like: wanting to try all the new trends, buying hundreds of supplements, moving onto the next fad as soon as you end a different one, and always looking for the next best thing. Social media makes it very easy to compare your journey and life to others; remember to stay in your own lane and do what works for you! If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it! There will always be new trends, products, and things to try. While it’s super fun and cool to experiment on yourself (that’s one reason why I love nutrition as a science!), there’s no need to jump around and use a million different products. Stick with what works for YOU and stay confident in those habits and choices.
Choose love over fear. When it comes to your health, there is always an opportunity to choose love for yourself and your body over fear, guilt, or shame. Instead of being scared of gaining weight, focus on the love you have for this perfect functioning body before you. Instead of being scared of eating too many calories, focus on the love you have for the abundance of food you have access to. Instead of being scared of missing out on your veggies when you opt for pancakes at breakfast, focus on the love you have for your body and its ability to digest what you feed it. Choosing love is a powerful tool to instantly shift your health into a more positive vibration.
Keep it flexible. Your body, preferences, physical ability, external appearance, and internal thoughts will constantly change - that’s completely normal! If you find one food/supplement/product that works amazingly well for you, and then all of the sudden it doesn’t, tap into your freedom to shift and adjust! We are not meant to stay stagnant or stuck in rigid routines. By allowing your life and wellness to be flexible, you will give your health ample breathing room to evolve and change over time. With this flexibility and flow, you will always have an abundance of options to choose from - empowerment to the max!!
So there you have it - My Top 5 Tips for Being As Healthy As Possible! Different than the list you were expecting? Perhaps! Helpful for your wellness journey into total food freedom? Absolutely!
If you’d like to get the most out of this list, I highly recommend downloading my complimentary gift to you - Eating with Love & Intuition to Stop Obsessively Thinking About Food. Grab this gift now, and let me know what you think!
Please share this article with any loved ones who may benefit - everyone deserves an abundance of health and food freedom! Chat soon on Instagram!