Health Philosophy

One of the goals that I had outlined for myself was to develop my health philosophy.

What does that mean? Well, everyone has their own idea of what it means to be healthy and to have healthy habits. To some, it means eating a specific diet and participating in a specific workout regimen. The point is that the notion of what it means to be healthy can vary from person to person.

So, what do I think it means to be healthy? What specific principles or habits are most important to me when living a healthy lifestyle?

You might be thinking: that's not that difficult - why on Earth did she set a goal to address a question that only takes a few minutes to answer? Well, because I really wanted to give it some thought. I wanted to think about my past experiences and come up with a legitimate answer that both makes sense and that I can strive to achieve every day.

- The majority of my diet needs to come from fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins.
- Sometimes, it's okay to have beer and pizza. But it should be the exception to the rule.
- Take a walk, every day. Even if it has to be a short one.
- Practice deep breathing.
- An exercise routine is key. 
- Sleep is important, and quality sleep should be made a priority.
- Spending time on hobbies or relaxation is absolutely necessary. 
- It's okay to make adjustments to decisions and priorities as circumstances change. 

Now, let's talk more about eating healthy for a minute. From my perspective, healthy means eating REAL food. And by real food, I mean food that isn't overly processed. For example: To me, eating full-fat yogurt is healthier than eating low-fat (HELLO, added sugars) yogurt. I understand that not everyone has this same viewpoint. If you are calorie counting, you might go for the lowest calorie version, and that's understandable.

But to me, making healthy food choices is more than just the caloric content of a food. It's about the fat content (not just amount, but type), sodium content, sugar content, and the number of artificial ingredients. It's a bigger picture than just one or two items on the nutrition label.

In addition to food choices, exercise is also important FOR ME. I know individuals that have lost weight and created healthy lifestyles for themselves without exercise. But I need exercise to stay energized and motivated.

And of course, things like rest and relaxation are important too.

Lastly, flexibility is key for me. For example, when I first started losing weight, I didn't worry about exercise. I wanted to get my eating under control. As I started to accomplish that goal, I added exercise to my list of priorities. As I started to exercise more, I switched from walking to running. As I progressed, I made changes that allowed for continued growth. And still have a lot of accomplish in that arena.

It's necessary for me to revisit my health philosophy and make changes along the way.

To summarize, my health philosophy is that health is holistic. It's not just about diet and exercise. Of course, that's a big part of the picture. But it's also about things like sleeping well, taking time to relax, spending time on hobbies, and living a more simple life.