At the drop of a hat, our lives can change. Whether it’s a devastating diagnosis or an injury, nothing in this life is promised to us. All we really have is what we have in this very moment. Nothing else is guaranteed. This is why it is so important that we do our best to keep our bodies and minds healthy so that we can put up the best possible fight when any of these unexpected blows present themselves.
Recently, a couple of the members of the JLA Team got devastating news about the health of their loved ones. When this kind of news hits so close to home, it really gets you thinking. We were encouraged to look at ourselves and our lifestyles to see what we could change to put ourselves in the best possible position to fight off any unwelcome diseases or tragedies that may present themselves.
Health and wellness should be approached as an open dialogue. There is so much we can learn from other people just as we all have valuable experiences and personal methods that we practice to stay healthy. There are tons of resources that are available to us that are written by professionals who have dedicated their lives to teaching others how to obtain and maintain healthy diets and lifestyles that help to prolong our lives and keep our bodies healthy. We owe it to ourselves and our futures to have these conversations and set ourselves up for a healthy and happy life. I am sure that you yourself have some tips that you could share as to how you keep your mind and body healthy, so please comment with these tips below!
Everyone has their own ideas as to what it means to be healthy and what best helps them. Everybody’s body is different and our bodies respond differently to different things. You need to play around with different methods and diet-balances that work for you. I personally have an addictive personality so I can tend to eat the same things for weeks on end, so I have to push myself to change it up. Switching it up is good for you and by doing this you can find new things that you love and things that could make your body feel even better!
For me, my health starts with my mental health. I like to meditate as often as I can, even if it’s just for five minutes. Once I am feeling refreshed and revitalized mentally, I feel more prepared to take on the world and my physical health. Please visit the Soul/Spirit page of my website to learn some of my best practices for obtaining and maintaining mental health! If you’ve never meditated or are new to the concept of feeding your mental health, this page is a great resource for you!
I have always been very conscious of what foods I consume. I try to choose foods that will help my mind and body such as lean proteins, fruits, veggies and nuts. I love snacking on apples and they are actually my snack of choice! I love how crisp, sweet and delicious they are! Plus, you know what they say: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away!” Over the years I have been able to find a good balance that works for me and I eat “clean” about 95% of the time. You should not live your life without treating yourself to delicacies that our outside of your normal diet every once in a while. Life like that would be so boring! (Trust me, I used to live like that!). I am not saying that you should eat healthy and then jump off of the deep end all of the time, but when you have the random craving or want to switch up your diet every once in a while, don’t feel guilty for indulging. You deserve to enjoy the life you’ve been blessed with so if that means having frozen yogurt once a week then eat your frozen yogurt and enjoy it!
I will tell you now that there is no magic pill or fairy godmother who is going to bless you with your idea of the perfect, healthy body. This requires you getting on a lifelong health plan. I personally do not believe in the word DIET. Instead of trying the latest “diet trend,” try eating proper portions of foods that will nourish you and compliment them with ingredients that are healthy and stimulate your palate. Eating healthy does not have to be bland and boring! But I will tell you what it does need to be – CREATIVE! Believe it or not, natural foods, when prepared correctly could be truly mind blowing! You thought candy was good?! Check out the recipes on the nutrition page of my website for healthy food that you can prepare yourself! Who needs nasty refined sugar when you can get natural, healthy sugar from the foods we grow right from our amazing earth!
I recently bought an amazing blender that was on sale at Costco. There was a guy there who was doing demonstrations with the blender and it was amazing seeing all of the healthy creations that he made with just fruit! We purchased one ourselves and had such a great time experimenting with some of our favorite fruits and veggies! This machine can make soups, ice cream, yogurt, smoothies and so much more! Just think how much fun there is to be had from all of the earth’s natural gifts! The last smoothie we made was so yummy! It was a half of a kiwi, a full banana, eight strawberries and so much spinach you wouldn’t believe it! It was all natural and so delicious and so sweet!
If you’re willing to do the work, you can live a healthy and happy lifestyle by feeding your body and soul with healthy options. Don’t waste your time and effort looking for a quick fix to your health – it is a lifelong journey! When you eat well and exercise and see the results that come from it, you will be left with a great feeling of accomplishment that will feed and fuel your mental health as well! These diet pills and fad diets that you see falsely advertised may claim to offer similar effects, but you won’t get better results than changing your lifestyle and getting the results from your own efforts!
Life is a beautiful, sometimes terrifying gift. There is only so much that we can control, but the rest is left to fate. All we can do is set ourselves up for as much success as possible. We can do this by keeping our minds and bodies as healthy as possible by feeding them with proper nutrients. We are all different and that makes us unique and beautiful! Find what works for you, your mind and your body and change your lifestyle accordingly! When life throws you a curveball, be your best, healthiest self so that you have the best chance of beating whatever comes your way. You only get one life and one body, so make it a good one!