Why Being Healthy Is About So Much More Than Just Food (part 3)

Hey hey.

Today is part 3 (and the final part) of my series about forgetting food rules for good. In part 1 we talked about what food rules even are and how you can completely change your life (and your relationship with food) if you just throw all the rules about food out the window. In part 2 we talked about the mind-body connection and how the way we simply think about food can affect our entire lives. And in today’s post, part 3, I’m going to talk about how (and why it’s important) to set some healthy guidelines and expectations for ourselves. Not rules. But simple and flexible guidelines. I’ll also finish up by taking about why being healthy is about so much more than just food.

You ready?

Okay. Let’s dive in.

First of all, if you haven’t read my first two posts in the series, I recommend you head on over there and do that now.

part 1.

part 2.

The importance of having healthy guidelines. 

Now that you’re all up to speed let’s talk about setting some expectations for our healthy lifestyle. We can’t simply breeze through our lives and expect to make healthy choices without first thinking about those choices and deciding to do one thing or eat one thing instead of another. The average person estimates that they make about 15 food-related decisions per day. Eat the banana or the apple pie. Drink the soda or the water. Order the salad or the burger. So we think we make these choices about 15 times per day, when in fact, we make closer to 200 food-related decisions a day. Wow! That almost seems like we are constantly thinking about food, right? Some of us are.

So what if we could set some guidelines for ourselves that, over time, turn into long-term healthy habits. So it’s almost like you don’t even have to make the decision to eat one thing or the other, or do one thing or the other. It’s just part of your life. It’s engrained in you. It’s what makes you happy. It’s what makes you, you.

These healthy guidelines shouldn’t all be food-related, either.

Here are a few of the healthy guidelines that I have set for myself.

(I don’t do everything religiously, but I do know how following the guidelines I’ve set for myself can make me feel. I feel more energized, motivated and happy. I feel like I’m a better wife and mom because of them).

• I drink 96+ ounces of water each day.
• I don’t buy or keep junk food on hand in my house (unless certain occasions warrant junk food). I find that when I have junk food in the house and easily accessible, that I will eat it, even if it doesn’t make me feel good.
• I don’t restrict food intake after a certain hour of the day. Getting overly hungry makes me crabby and irritable and nobody wants that.
• I try and eat vegetables every single day, and at most meals if I can. I don’t force myself to eat vegetables that I don’t like, either. I’m not a big fan of raw cauliflower or broccoli so I rarely eat it. But I love those veggies roasted and eat them often.
• I ask my daughter if she’d like to cook or bake with me even if sometimes it’s easier to let her watch TV while I cook.
• I move my body in some way almost every day. Whether it’s a walk, a workout or working up a sweat cleaning the house.
• I make my bed most mornings.
• I tidy my house every single night before going to bed. This means putting toys away, wiping down kitchen counters, putting the couch pillows back on the couch and starting the dishwasher. Waking up to a clean and tidy house makes a huge difference in how my next day will go.
• I never bring my phone to bed with me.

Brainstorm some healthy guidelines that work for you.

And if you’re serious about setting some attainable goals for yourself and creating healthy habits, I have an awesome, FREE 5 day challenge for you. Click here to grab it.

I can’t tell you enough how creating healthy habits truly does make you a healthier (and happier) person. So make a point this week to either take on my healthy habit challenge (linked here) or set some of your own guidelines. Make sure they are something that really matter to you and that are attainable and something you feel you can do long-term. There’s no use in setting lifestyle goals that you don’t feel like you can maintain long-term. Trust me.

Being healthy is about more than just food. 

So we’ve set some goals for ourselves and we’re well on our way to a healthier lifestyle. But first we need to understand that being healthy is about so much more than just the food we put in our mouths.

Being healthy means having healthy, nourishing relationships.

Being healthy means enjoying what you do for a living (or at least finding some joy in what you do).

Being healthy means being a genuinely kind person to others and setting a positive example (most of the time).

Being healthy means stopping comparing yourself to others (especially on social media — remember that social media is almost always someones highlight reel and often doesn’t include their struggles and insecurities like all of us have)

Being healthy means being grateful for all of the things you do have instead of focusing on all the things you wish you had.

Being healthy means practicing self-care and self-love. You cannot. I repeat, cannot be the best and healthiest version of yourself without first loving and taking care of yourself.

You can be the “healthiest” eater and feel great and energized, but if you don’t take care of your mental or emotional health, you’re going to hit a dead end. It’s time to start making a meaningful effort to focus on things other than just the food you eat. Of course, eat the foods that make you feel great, and the foods that nourish your body, but also…

Go on a date with your husband or significant other who you feel like you’ve become roommates with instead of spouses. Work on your relationship instead of taking a backseat and watching it crumble.

Get your nails done because you simply like the way your nails look when you get them done professionally.

Take a bath because it relaxes and rejuvenates you.

Do anything for you that will make you a better person. Because when you are a happy human being, others around you can see and feel it too. So invest the time in you because it can only get better from there.

xoxo,

Angela