Changing your lifestyle can be daunting, but it is oh so worth it. I recently watched a nutrition talk and one of the messages really resonated with me:

“You have no time to waste to start taking care of your health.”

I think a lot of young people think that just because they are young and they can “get away” with being unhealthy, they don’t have to worry about this type of stuff yet. But just because you can’t yet physically see the damage you are causing on your body, doesn’t mean it’s not already happening.

That being said: I myself went through a phase of being extremely destructive towards my body, mind and soul. It’s only because of my experience with an eating disorder that I started to take a good hard look at what I was doing to my body.

These days I nourish my body with wholesome food because it makes me feel amazing and I work out because I love my body and honor its need to be active.

I love staying active and after a long day, I really do look forward to getting a good workout in. I think a lot of it has to do with habit. Those that say they aren’t motivated just need to get started and realize the good it does to one’s mind, body, mood, energy, relationships etc. What is important is to not compare yourself to others, as it can be frustrating. Just focus on yourself. Oh, and another thing: Workouts don’t have to be boring! Grab a friend, go outside in the sun, start a challenge, do something that gets you excited and mix things up!

In terms of my diet, I immediately notice my physical and mental wellbeing diminish when I eat unhealthy for a couple days. I look at it and think: “How did I manage to eat like this every day back then and not notice how crap it made me feel?” Once you have experienced that healthy eating high once, there’s no going back! I really believe in the saying “You are what you eat”. The moment I sway away from my usual eating habits, I feel myself becoming more cranky, less energized and foggy-minded.

But even though I pay close attention to what I eat, I don’t believe in labeling one’s diet. People nowadays have this need to categorize people and themselves according to their way of eating. This just causes unnecessary pressure and can even lead to eating disorders. What works for one person, doesn’t necessarily translate to success for someone else. And even if it works for you at the moment, it might not work for you in the future.

Yes, I changed my (approach to) diet and fitness, but what about primary foods? Primary foods are things that nourish us off the plate, including  meaningful relationships, career, regular physical exercise and a grounding spiritual practice. The more primary foods we receive, the less we depend on secondary food a.k.a actual food. A person can eat all the kale in the world, but if the primary foods aren’t nourished, they will not be truly healthy. This is a concept I deep down knew before, but it took me a whole while to figure it out. I didn’t understand the mind-body connection, and see how it is all interlinked.

These days I do lots of yoga/meditation/journaling, I make sure that I have a nourishing morning routine and I practice lots and lots of gratitude. It really is all about the mindset in the end!