So far, my social media has been flooded with college and high school students showing off their bodies and fitness routines. They share what works for them and what doesn’t, as well as tips and tricks to get started on a healthy living journey. Some of these videos show off unhealthy lifestyles too, which, in my opinion, are not healthy and should be avoided at all costs. It is important for everyone to understand that eating healthy and getting some kind of movement in, whether its walking, lifting weights, or yoga, is very beneficial. This can be something that is extremely hard to understand for a lot of people and was for me at the beginning of my healthy living journey. Here are some of the reasons why I started “living healthy” and why you should as well!
- Weight loss/gain
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I am the type of person where it’s hard for me to gain weight (which I love) and lose weight (which I hate). Whatever I do just doesn’t seem to work, but I have finally found something that works where I can still eat what I want while still going to the gym every so often; I started using portion control. Portion control, for me, is still eating the things I want in moderation. I don’t eat as much of it as I can and instead would get a “kids” sized portion instead. I have noticed that by practicing portion control and staying somewhat active, I can lose some weight and still be healthy doing it. According to Uma Naidoo, a nutritional psychiatrist, “a recent study suggests that eating a healthy, balanced diet such as the Mediterranean diet and avoiding inflammation-producing foods may be protective against depression.” (Naidoo, 2018)
- Mental Health
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I notice that whenever I eat a meal from, say, McDonald’s, though its yummy it doesn’t make me very happy after eating it… I almost feel guilty. Whereas if I get a salad from Panera, I feel so much better about myself and proud of myself for eating something I normally wouldn’t. The foods you eat can affect your mental health more than you think they can. This does not mean that food can solve all your problems though. It’s only a short-term help and not something that can help in the long run. To make it help in the long run, you must focus on what you eat and exercise on top of it all.
- Psychical Health
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Anyone else notice that when they eat crappy food from a fast-food place, they get bad stomach issues after? Can’t be just me, I know that for sure. This is another reason why I started trying to avoid fast-food as much as possible. When I switched over to eating less processed food and focusing more on fresh and green, I noticed my stomach wasn’t hurting as much and I was able to sleep better as well. Your stomach doesn’t normally like things that will make it hard to digest and it will relay that to you by giving you long bathroom trips or restless nights. Sticking to less processed foods and more fresh ones will give you better night sleeps and less hurtful bathroom trips.
Though the transition was hard, it was definitely worth it. I had such an unhealthy relationship with food and now I had a healthy one with healthier food that will benefit me in the long run. Exercising is still a hard part for me, but hopefully when I get that part down, I will achieve the body I desire and find a source of happiness from living a healthy lifestyle.