Health, Holistically

Hello again! Now, the reason I started this blog was just to share my journey, but sometimes I feel like I'm learning and growing so quickly, that I don't have time to write it all down! So I'll apologise in advance if this one gets a bit haphazard! I'll admit, when I started my online business, it wasn't because I was overly passionate about health and wellness! But I ended up in the health and wellness field, and the more I learn, the more passionate I become! The definition of "health" can be such a grey area, especially in today's society, where everything's the next quick fix, the next magic diet. But I'm here to tell you that diets don't work! Did you start a new diet as a new years resolution? Have you stuck to it? 95% of people who start a diet will regain the weight within 5 years, and 30-60% of those people end up weighing more than they did before they started! The problem with diets is that they're not sustainable long term. Restricting your eating, usually while also pushing your body to it's physical limits leads to a lot of negative psychology, poor mindset, falling off the bandwagon, and ultimately ending back up where you started! Holistic health on the other hand, is a lifestyle! Health is so much more than just diet and excercise - although physical health is a key aspect; overall wellness comes from a harmony of mind, body and spirit. It's all linked! If your mental, emotional and spiritual health are not in alignment, then you'll struggle with areas of physical health such as weight loss or fitness. It's important to educate yourself on nutrition, and implement small, sustainable changes in your pantry and fridge. It's not about going without, it's about upgrading what you're currently eating; you eat white rice? Try upgrade to brown or black rice, quinoa, or buckwheat! You eat ice cream? Try upgrading to frozen yoghurt or sorbet! You eat chocolate? Try eating at least 70% cocoa dark chocolate! There's no need to cut out our favourite indulgences, instead, upgrade them to something better, and over time your palette will change and you'll prefer your healthier treats anyway! And most importantly, don't feel guilty for treating yourself every now and then! Try using the 80-20 rule; if 80% of the time you are consciously eating really well, don't beat yourself up over the 20% of the time that you enjoy a night out with friends, or have a weekend away and eat poorly! Similarly, mindset around excercise can have a huge impact too! While it's important to push ourselves and build on our strengths, it's also important to give our bodies rest. Rotating your excercise days between building workouts and recovery workouts (like yoga) is very beneficial - as well as giving yourself at least one rest day per week. Properly resting your body keeps your mindset healthy too, since you keep from getting physically and emotionally exhausted. So how do we keep a healthy mind? Meditation! Mindfulness activities, such as meditation, can decrease stress, increase awareness, and promote a healthy mindset. And believe me, if you think you don't have time to meditate, then you really need to meditate!! Other practices such as gratitude, self love/self care, and getting enough sleep at night all contribute to the health of our mind, emotions and spirit. When we take the time to nourish and excercise our mind and soul as well as our physical body, that's when we truly can be healthy, holistically!