For some reason, the word “healthy” has always bothered me.
You have probably heard me say numerous times that “healthy” is the worst word imaginable and that “nourishing” describes food more accurately. The gap between the two ideas is enormous. Big enough that you’ll swear off starvation diets and dreadful workouts forever.
No medication, shake, or extreme diet can provide the nutrition your body needs. It’s a way of living.
A well-nourished existence results from various healthy decisions that, taken together, create internal and external balance. You can be “healthy” and malnourished simultaneously, but you can’t be “nourished” and unhealthy. Consider a friend or family member who is making an effort to improve their health; chances are they’re doing something extreme like going on a crash diet, drinking shakes or pills, allowing themselves a cheat day where they gorge on junk food, and feeling down on themselves as a result of their failure to achieve their desired results.
Permit me to provide a comparison between the two ways of living:
A “healthy” lifestyle advocate:
The alarm clock reads 6 a.m. She is sleepy, irritable, and greedy. She gets up, makes coffee, and goes to the kitchen to have the first of two shakes she’ll have that day to substitute meals. She gets dressed and goes to work, still feeling hungry, because the job is the only one she can find that covers the bills. After dropping off the kids at school, she goes straight to work. She heats a boxed lunch, has a diet cola, and some low-fat cookies for lunch. She goes to the gym after work to participate in an exercise class they despise, but if it means burning more calories, then so be it. She picks up the kids from school, drives them home, puts on the TV, and relaxes with a meal replacement shake while they eat hot dogs and mac and cheese for dinner because mom is too exhausted to cook anything else. No one is paying attention to what’s happening, and they only communicate during commercial breaks. Sleep comes after around three hours, with the same routine the next day.
I wish I could argue that this is an extreme example, but it isn’t. It’s something I keep witnessing, and every time it makes me sadder. Although she is doing some things that could be considered healthy (such as trying to shed extra pounds and increase her physical activity), her overall lifestyle choices are not nourishing.
Stop riding the Ferris wheel. This isn’t how life should be, and it certainly isn’t how a healthy person should live.
A well-nourished individual might look like this:
Imagine, instead, that the same mother gets up and eats a meal that she knows will provide her with the fuel she needs for the day. Perhaps it’s an omelet packed with the fresh vegetables and eggs she picked up at the farmer’s market over the weekend. She gets ready for the day ahead, eager to return to a job she enjoys and which provides meaningful fulfillment. After dropping off the kids at school, she takes in some of her favorite tunes on the way to the office. At lunchtime, she eats something she knows will replenish her (maybe some sushi and a fruit bowl). Not only does she eat, but she also takes some time to unwind and perhaps get some writing done. She returns to work, where she has fun with her coworkers and accomplishes much. She goes for the day, planning to rock climbing and do yoga with her pals at the gym. After a beautiful time, she returns home to cook a meal that she hopes will nourish her loved ones (maybe grilled chicken, broccoli, and a salad the kids helped make). At dinnertime, the family gathers around the table to share stories about their days. The kids are in bed, and Mom still has enough energy to read to them for a little while before she goes to read before she goes to sleep.
Do you see what I mean?
You can’t force yourself to live a healthy lifestyle; you do it. For most individuals, “getting healthy” is synonymous with “trying to get healthy,” which makes the process miserable (and short-lived). I have one last essential point to make on the importance of a healthy lifestyle. A healthy diet is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Only you can say for sure what that will entail. Many other definitions of health and wellness exist. Yours can be found by taking some time to reflect on your life and the things that are most meaningful to you. Eating meat, not eating red meat, only eating farm-raised/hormone-free beef, not eating meat, and eating vegan are all possible approaches to a healthy diet and lifestyle. It could mean giving up refined sugar altogether, or it could mean reducing your intake. You might also try eating only organic foods, eliminating wheat and dairy, or fasting once a month. You might go to the gym every day for hours, or you could never set foot in one again. The point is that there are countless permutations of what it means to live a nourished life, and it is your responsibility to discover what that means for you. Creating a healthy lifestyle goes well beyond avoiding obesity and exercising you despise.
This seems like a no-brainer, right? Despite this, many people (maybe in the tens of thousands) will begin diets on January 1st, only to feel let down, discouraged, and angry when they don’t see (long-term) benefits by the end of the year. Don’t fall for the “healthy” marketing ploy! Set aside 20 minutes to jot down some of your favorite things. Focus on the things that excite you the most. It’s funny how you naturally gravitate toward more nourished options once you begin a nourished lifestyle. The snowball effect is natural, and once you start going, you’ll find yourself in a completely new (and fed) place in no time. So, how would you describe a well-balanced existence? What sorts of pastimes do you hope to pursue? Or companions? Maybe a job? Think about this deeply, and remember that making oneself is more important than finding oneself in this life. It’s time to seize the day.
Find out more about her and the healthy habits she’s shared at
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