Before transforming your life to become more healthy, I think there are two big questions to ask yourself. What does being healthy mean to you? What is your motivation behind wanting to be more healthy? 

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Without having a clear answer to these questions, you might always be experimenting with diet fads, biohacking, intermediate fasting, etc. I'm not saying that those things are bad per se, but you could be jumping into something without understanding why. 

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What Being Healthy Means to Me:

Being healthy to me means feeling balanced and whole. It means having energy, a sharp mind, and emotional stability. My motivation behind wanting to be healthy is so I can engage in all that life has to offer no matter how old I am. Just because we get older doesn’t mean we have to feel worse each new year. I also want to be healthy so I can help others learn about their health. 

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Health is multidimensional and bio-individual. Health is holistic and expands into all aspects of your life including, but not limited to, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. All of these are interconnected and influence one another in many ways. 

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Everyone has different needs and is unique in what supports their individual health and happiness. One person's health could be another person's poison. This is why certain diets will work for some people and not at all for others. Your needs will also change over time or with different seasons. It’s important to support this and adjust accordingly. 

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You might say “well I want to go on this diet so I can lose weight.” So then ask yourself, why do you want to lose weight?

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Is it so you can fit into that dress you want to wear to an upcoming event? Or is it so you can move/exercise easier? So you can have more energy and get back to doing things you love to do? I can tell you right now that a fad diet is not the way to do this. 

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Making it a Lifestyle:

Creating a healthy lifestyle is just that. It becomes a LIFESTYLE. Soon, you won’t even have to think about making the healthier choice, you’ll just do it. Don’t you want to get out of that mindset of “ugh I have to eat this salad” to “I just made the BEST salad for lunch!” Finding what motivates you to be healthy can get you to that point. 

Step 1. Ask yourself - what does being healthy mean to you?

Step 2. Ask yourself - what is your motivation behind wanting to be healthy?

Now that you know what health means to you and what your motivation to be healthy is, you can create the lifestyle.

Determine Your "Favorites":
  • Physical (e.g. favorite foods, walking, biking, HIIT workouts, yoga, etc.)
  • Emotional/Mental (e.g. journaling, meditation, reading, taking a bath, etc.)
  • Spiritual (praying, doing devotionals, reading your bible, etc.) 

Other factors that affect our food choices:

  • Lifestyle 
  • Environment 
  • Physiological and psychological factors 
  • Cultural, social, and economic factors
  • Personal knowledge and belief 

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Take a look at these other factors and ask yourself - which of these factors is hindering my ability to create a healthy lifestyle? It’s a lot easier said than done to just say “choose the healthier option.” Trust me, I get it.

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Sometimes it can be hard to make better choices because the people you hang out with don’t show as much interest in their health as you do. This can be resolved as simply as communicating.

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Just communicate to them what your goals are and what you are wanting to achieve with your health. If they were real friends, they will understand and maybe want to join in! 

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This doesn’t mean you can never go out to eat with your friends or go to happy hour. This just means that you might not drink at every happy hour you go to or when you are going out to eat, look for healthier options. Trust me, it’s worth it. Because remember, you are in control of your health. 

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Make it a Priority:

Now make these a priority in your daily routine. Finding joy in all areas of health can make food choices easier. If you have a consistent workout regime and you feel like you’re taking care of your mental and emotional health, you will WANT to eat healthily. Why?

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Because that will support the lifestyle you’ve created. Of course, I can start off by saying eat less processed food and reduce your added sugar. Don’t get me wrong, that’s very important, but instead, let's focus on what you can add. 

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Starting adding more fruits and veggies to your meals. You know which ones you like the most so make those! There are multiple ways to add your favorite veggie to a meal. You can sauté it, steam it, eat it raw, put it in a smoothie, etc. Instead of snacking on chips or pretzels, grab an apple or a handful of berries instead! 

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Your health journey will be just that, YOURS.

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Just because broccoli is healthy and has so many amazing benefits, it might not agree with your body. Now that’s another post for another time but, find not only what you love but what your body loves as well. 

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Living a healthy lifestyle seems overwhelming, but it shouldn’t be. Health is what you do every day to feed your mind and body. Start small, but dream big.

You have the power to take your health into your hands. 

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If you ever feel like it is out of your control and you feel overwhelmed ask yourself those two essential questions again. Reflect on how you’ve been supporting your physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual health. Have you recently neglected one of these factors of health? 

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Create goals and set intentions for yourself. These goals can be as simple as:

  • Today I want to add another veggie to my protein smoothie 
  • This week I want to eat out only once 
  • This month I want to learn a new healthy recipe 

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Taking Care of Yourself Should be Fun!

Whatever you decide your goals are, just make them attainable. You should be excited about creating a healthy lifestyle. Like diets, this isn’t something that you’ll do for a little bit and then it’s Christmas time and you’ll say “I’ll start back up again after the holidays.” Find what makes you feel good and what makes you excited about taking care of yourself. 

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I know that many people have different definitions of health and different motivations when it comes to being healthy. But I hope this blog was able to help you to get a better understanding of your definition of health. In the comments, let us know what health means to you and what your motivation is for wanting to be healthy!

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