Skip to main content

What Is Your Health Journey?

Not gonna lie, I've struggled all week deciding what topic to write about. There is so much information out there when it comes to health, wellness, and nutrition.

And I want to cover so MANY of them! As I continue to learn, I want to share what I'm learning with others so it can help you all the way I feel like it's helping me and my family. 

We're on this journey with my husband because of his medical condition. 

My sons are far less interested in anything to do with health or nutrition because they still have the metabolisms of teenage boys. 

My daughter is a very active young teenage athlete who needs to properly fuel her body to be able to participate in the numerous sports she's involved in (softball, basketball, track, and she's now considering cross country). 

And I am working on my own health and wellness journey for many reasons: longevity, energy levels as I age, being comfortable with how I look and feel, stress and anxiety, and most importantly (for me) being able to not only "talk the talk" but "walk the walk". 

It's one thing to share about the importance of staying well hydrated, and to list all the benefits that drinking plenty of water every day can provide (and there are dozens of them), but it's another to share those benefits while I'm sitting in my recliner sipping on my third Coke of the day at 10:00am. 

(And in reality, I gave up sodas ten years ago. As of writing this post I'm on my fourth glass of water this morning, plus 20 oz. of unsweetened green tea.)

This journey is not an easy one, for any of us. My husband has been used to eating a certain way his entire adult life: lots of red meat, saturated fats, and highly processed foods. But because of his medications, his body will no longer tolerate those foods. So we are learning together to embrace a healthier eating style that includes more chicken and turkey, more veggies and fruits, and less processed food products (good-bye Velveeta!).

My daughter is learning that before she eats junk food (candy, chips, and other snacks), she has to eat the appropriate amounts of macronutrients first (complex carbs, protein, and health fats). So her typical breakfast is Greek-yogurt with granola and fruit. Lunch will look like a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with 2 pieces of bacon and guacamole, a side of baby carrots and hummus, and strawberries or a banana. Dinner varies depending on where we are (home or out) and the circumstances of the evening (am I home to cook, do we have a meal planned, or is everyone fending for themselves).

My sons still believe ramen noodles are their own food group.

Everyone will have their own reasons for making changes in their health, wellness, and nutrition. Even within our family, we are all on separate journeys toward healthier versions of ourselves. 

BUT....

We are also in it together. I will continue to modify recipes to fit my husband's new dietary restrictions, and to meet my daughter's increased energy needs. We will try new foods and find what fits our individual preferences, as well as what we all enjoy. And we will continue to make other changes in our lives to find our wellness "sweet spots".

Think about where you are on your own health and wellness journey. What changes would you like to make? Why do you want to make those changes? What does a healthier version of yourself look like? What sort of help do you need to take the steps toward a healthier you?

Embrace whatever answers you find, and don't be afraid to reach out for help.

Until next time....

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WHAT TO DO WHEN CREATING HEALTHY HABITS BECOMES A CHALLENGE

As you’re working on your health, wellness, or nutrition journey, you’re going to face daily challenges. It happens. Obstacles. Setbacks. Faltering Motivation. Resistance. It’s frustrating to hit a roadblock. But hopefully some of the tips compiled here will help you navigate around these challenges and continue on your way to a healthier you. Focus on Your Behaviors, Not Your Outcomes .  I know I’ve talked about this before, but it’s actually a critical step of creating healthy habits. Outcomes vary. If you’re trying to lose 10 pounds, but the scale hasn’t moved past 5 pounds, it’s easy to get caught up in the number on the scale and fail to give yourself credit for the habits you’re creating like riding your bike 4 times per week, cooking healthier meals at home, and losing inches from around your waist. It’s important to praise and celebrate each habit you do, rather than only giving yourself credit when you hit a certain milestone, like the number on the scale. Take a...
Post a Comment
Read more

NAMING THE PROBLEM

I love working with clients. I love walking them through the process of their health concerns, what their goals are, and how those goals can be achieved. But there is inevitably a glitch in the process where clients get stuck. For me, as well, when I’m working on my own personal goals. They hit a point where they feel like they’ve stalled in their progress. Or they feel like they don’t know where to start. Or how to navigate through an issue. And when these obstacles happen, the secret ingredient that health coaches use to help clients through these barriers is to Name The Problem . In my own personal experience, I have a tendency to get overwhelmed when I’ve made a goal too big. I get sucked into the vastness of the “forest” and I struggle to recognize the individual “trees” around me. For example, let’s say you’ve set a goal to “ Eat Healthier” . That is a very broad goal, and it could cover hundreds (if not thousands) of options. But you’ve made some changes that work for yo...
Post a Comment
Read more

THE PRINCIPLES OF GOOD NUTRITION

What is good for you? What’s not? Should you eat red meat? Should you avoid it? What about pasta? Or even gluten, for that matter? Sugar? A cupcake has sugar in it….but so does a banana. When it comes to healthy eating and nutrition, we all want direct and specific answers. I know I do. But the reality is, there is still a LOT about nutrition we don’t know. Studies have been conducted over the last hundred or so years, but then a new study comes along and overturns the previous information (think margarine and trans-fats). But there are still 5 generally accepted principles of nutrition that most members of the scientific community agree on. Calories In vs Calories Out Determines What You Will Weigh .  There are MANY factors that determine exactly HOW those calories are going to work in your body: appetite, food consumed, psychological factors like stress and sleep, how calories are absorbed; along with calories burned at rest, during exercise, while digesting food, and a...
Post a Comment
Read more