Has your pursuit of health become unhealthy?

When I first started to become health conscious in 2019 (back when I hated to eat anything the colour of green) it quickly became very toxic for me. My mindset toward what health was and what it looked like to be healthy was, in fact, very unhealthy. An example of this is that I thought to be healthy one had to have no fat on their body (when in fact its healthy for women to have some fat on their bodies!!!). I also though that veganism was the only way and lived in total denial of how sick I was becoming on the diet (I’m not dissing vegans, I’m just saying everyone responds differently and has different needs).

Why did I think this? Social media, marketing, advertisements and influence from toxic gym cultures all shaped what I thought to be right and true. Then one day I learnt that you can find a study to back up just about any point of view and there are plenty of influencers out there unknowingly giving out false information that they, too, are unaware of (I will admit, in the beginning, I did this too.)

Upon studying integrative nutrition health coaching, working with a naturopath and extracting and experiencing biblical wisdom around health, I learnt that there is no one size fits all to health and that emotional and spiritual health are as impactful to our physical health than nutrition is. Through this I was able to ditch some unhealthy mindsets and beliefs that had been keeping me sick and began to see things shift in my own health. I began to become calmer, more emotionally aware and in control, more energised, healthier in relationships, aware of my own bodies needs and different ailments were healed woohoo!!!

My pursuit of health actually started to bare fruit once my mindset shifted. These are some of the shifts I had to realise:

1. Health is a lifetsyle that will ebb and flow

I use to think of health as another ‘to do’ list that I had to complete everyday to ensure I was healthy, although my blood tests argued otherwise. My measure for health was this list rather than how I felt. Thinking of health in this way can increase stress and overwhelm, and often when things get too busy, health takes the back seat or is thrown out of the bus altogether. This, in turn, becomes more unhealthy. Instead, I learnt how to integrate health into your lifestyle by creating long-lasting habits that support your mind and body. This will look different for each person.

2. Bioindividuality

This means that no one is the same and not everyone will respond the same under the same conditions. This also means that copying that instagram influencers every meal and workout may not actually make you any healthier. You’ve got to find what works for you with the appropriate guidance.

3. Feelings matter

I used to push back what I thought were unnecessary emotions to keep moving on with my day, or push through little aches and pains, headaches and fatigue to complete a workout. When we feel in our mind or bodies something uncomfortable, or start to notice a symptom, think of it as the mailman knocking on your door delivering to you an important message. Instead of rejecting the delivery, be curios. Start asking questions like, ‘Why am I feeling this?’ Even if you don’t receive your answer instantly, often the invitation is to slow down and learn something – and don’t try and do it all on your own!

To change your perspective in these three areas, like I did, will help make your pursuit of health healthy.

If you need some direction in your pursuit of health, want to make health your lifestyle and learn what works best for you then connect with me through the contact page on this website.