You’re probably thinking, “Oh, gosh, not another fitness/health/exercise oriented article. NEXT”.
BUT – wait just one second. Aren’t we all part of a well-rounded, educated, open minded and diverse society? I truly believe once you read this, it may inspire you, nay, propel you to change yourself for the better. It’s shorter and less time consuming than figuring out why no one knows what Monsanto is (tip: research is your best friend).
I’m going to attempt to keep this short because I have a life, you have a life and there’s only so much battery left on our devices.
Here are the all tidbits I give to people who ask me how to be ‘healthy’.
‘Healthy’ has a definition but it’s a very fluid and sometimes ambiguous one. It means different things for different people. For me, it means being the best me in every single sense of the word: physically, mentally, and spiritually. Also, it means actually being content and satisfied with the way I live my life (i.e. saying I feel like I’m happy and healthy when in reality I hate the diet/routine/etc.)
I’m preparing for an old Katherine.
Oh yes, we are aging, believe it or not. The prospect of my current actions preventing or altogether removing any diseases, conditions or changes that may come with age, excites me. Of course deterioration is inevitable, but my actions now determine whether I will be able to walk on my own or even be alive. Yeah, this is very serious so make YOU your most important priority. Everything I’m doing now will give me an advantage for my future goals. Remember that!
Exercise.
I’m telling you that if you have not become a fan of exercising, it’s because you haven’t stuck with it long enough. I know it sucks! I know it burns and I know it feels like you’re dying. But only for those 30-60 minutes. The rest of the time you are energized, happy, and have a ridiculous amount of self-confidence like “Wow, I indeed did NOT die AND I made it through that session.” You will even carry that confidence over to other aspects of your life.
Eating Healthy
The general rule I follow is(though not always, because we do live in a different world than I’d otherwise want): If it didn’t come out of the Earth in its almost original state, DO NOT EAT IT. If you were to patiently sit down and truly research everything you have been eating up to this minute, you would actually projectile vomit everywhere.
Cook your meals. Listen, I know the commute sucks, I know the lack of sleep sucks and I KNOW that those extra 30 minutes in the morning make a difference. However, these situations will change! We will eventually have different lives, go in different directions and grow up into ‘real’ adults. The same way you have learned the discipline behind brushing your teeth twice a day, bathing regularly, and juggling multiple responsibilities, you need to do the same with cooking your meals. Plus you save a ridiculous amount of money!!
When YOU feel good, you make OTHERS feel good.
People will pick up on the self-confidence, tranquility and full happy sense of being you, that they will want to bask in it, too. This change doesn’t end with you — it begins with you!
You may say that you care about the environment and its Earthlings, but those three take-out bags a day, food you consume and eventually pills you may have to take because your cardiovascular system is whacked out, say otherwise. Tread lightly on this Earth because we cannot construct, configure or mass-produce anymore.
Education: the best thing to happen to us.
“Is she nuts? It sucks!” Yes, so does everything else in life, but the return we receive on our education is worth one hundreds times over every single midterm.
Somewhere along the way, we have forgotten the purpose behind reading an actual book. RESEARCH and find out things for yourself! Don’t take some random study, health guru or even ME by their word – look it all up, even experiment and realize that only YOU can make that final opinion. YOU HAVE A PHONE AND COMPUTER TOO! Don’t just read Buzzfeed/Huffington Post/CNN.
Some ‘hippie’ tips on spirituality
Ignore everyone and everything from time to time and truly, deeply connect with yourself. You will find that your thoughts are the most powerful tool in the world. Before you can harness that energy, you need to figure out what you’re thinking, why you’re thinking it and if needed, how to change it. Self-knowledge is key to becoming healthy.
Bro, you absolutely need to go outside and experience some trees, grass and dirt. If you stop rolling your eyes for a minute, you will find that you are a part of every living thing around you. Appreciating what we are a part of will allow you to relax and dig deeper into yourself.
Lastly: KEEP IT SIMPLE. Don’t over complicate anything. Open all three eyes (again, research!) and you will find this tip to be the most useful of all.
Your biggest opponent is you. Learn yourself —then everything that makes you happy will begin to embed itself into your everyday life. Don’t just say “You are goals!” – STRIVE for those positive goals, whatever they may be. We all have problems, step backs, and insecurities. It doesn’t mean you can’t do it because if you have learned anything in your last ~20 years, it’s that you CAN.