So, what is health? Health is personal and unique to each individual. What may be healthy for somebody else may not be healthy for you. Our health is so much more than our physical body. It seems our society tends to focus on that part of our health a lot when in reality our health includes our mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health. Health does not equate to weight or size!
Merriam-Webster definition of health says:
- The condition of being sound in body, mind and spirit
- The general condition of the body
- A condition in which someone or something is thriving or doing well
I think that there is a misconception in the anti-diet or non-diet realm that we aren’t concerned about health or don’t want people to focus on health. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. I am always thinking about my client’s health when we meet. However, food and exercise are not the end all be all of health. There is so much more involved with our health. If somebody I am working with has anxiety around food or fears certain foods working through those beliefs will help their health far more than working to include more fruits or vegetables at that point. So you CAN focus on your health it just may look different than what society deems as healthy.
For me personally things I focus on including in my life for optimal health are:
- Adequate sleep
- Eating food that I enjoy and ensuring I get all food groups overall
- Moving my body in ways that feel good and I enjoy doing
- Yoga and breathing exercises
- Taking time to be alone
- Making time for relationships and staying in touch with family and friends
- Spending time with my dog
- Taking stock of how I am feeling emotionally and mentally and adding in whatever I may need based on that, noticing anxiety and stress
- Personal hygiene: washing my face nightly, using moisturizers, brushing my teeth, etc.
Taking care of ourselves and our health can be a daunting task at times and feel really overwhelming. If this is something you struggle with I would encourage you to take it one day and one step at a time. Maybe add in 1 small thing this week and see how you feel. This is also something that may be helpful to discuss with your therapist.
Lastly, if somebody chooses not to focus on their health for whatever reason that is their decision and doesn’t make them any less than anybody else! Treat everybody with kindness, we all deserve it no matter what!
As always if you have questions, comments, feedback, concerns you can contact us here! Happy Eating!
