My Health and Wellness Inspiration

I think for a lot of people, we have an idea of what healthy living looks like. Whether it is someone who crunches weights at the gym or someone who lives life in the slow lane, there is a number of different things that can constitute healthy living. For me, living a healthy lifestyle often times leads me to look for inspiration in those around me. I enjoy learning the different ways people incorporate healthy habits into their lives, and then choose which ones best fit into mine. Which leads me to tell you about my health and wellness inspiration, Trisha.

Nicole (my roommate), Trisha and I enjoying a sunny day in Napa Valley.

The healthiest person I know is my roommate’s mom, Trisha. Trisha lives an active lifestyle and maintains extremely healthy eating habits. Trisha exercises everyday, with a combination of anaerobic and aerobic training plans. Also, for most of Trisha’s life she has had to learn to live with her allergies to different foods including dairy, citrus fruits and the list goes on. The allergies Trisha lives with, pushes her to eat healthier and reach for more wholesome food options. Her drive to fuel her body with wholesome and nutritious foods is apparent in not only her life, but in the lives of those who she cares for most.

Trisha, Nicole and I staying active on a hike in the Redwood National State Park.

The term “healthy” can mean a number of different things. To me, being healthy has to do with physical, mental and spiritual health. Physical health includes staying active with a well rounded exercise plan that includes cardiovascular training and weight bearing exercise. In a study done on children in the Czech Republic, researchers investigated and determined that children were more likely to avoid a sedentary lifestyle when they found an outdoor activity that they really enjoyed. The researchers determined which outdoor activities the group of children enjoyed most and watched how active they were depending on which activity they were exposed to and how that correlated to their overall activity levels. This tells us how important it is to not just hit the gym because it is good for us, but find something that makes you happy doing it. It can be far more beneficial to overall health. Furthermore, being physically healthy includes fueling your body with the necessary micro and macronutrients it needs to function well. Mental health is something that can often be overlooked. Understanding the importance of mental and even spiritual health can be integral in developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Living in a mindset that is uplifting and encouraging can make all the difference to ones overall health.

The aspects that are most vital for optimal living are staying active, eating healthy foods, avoiding activities that degrade the body and doing things that are good for your mental health. If these four aspects of a healthy lifestyle are implemented, quality of life and optimal living will increase. In a study performed in New York, on a range of ethnic groups, researchers were able to determine a correlation between physical activity and an increased health-related quality of life. The increase was most prevalent in Hispanics according to this study, but all groups were positively impacted due to the increases in physical activity.

There are many behaviors that can impact your health, for the good and the bad. Some are but not limited to, physical activity, nutrition, amount of putting toxins in the body (alcohol, tobacco, drug use) and mental state. As we can see there are many avenues in which one’s health could be impacted which is why it is so critical to evaluate one’s health as a whole.

Its important to understand that while on a journey to find healthy living, one will not always achieve perfection. It is important to show yourself grace and be loving towards the body you are tending to. Finding a health inspiration in your life can be a useful tool while on your journey to becoming happy and healthy!

Sources:

http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=13&sid=b6da35e0-c101-4c00-b1f5-632a808dc6a6%40sessionmgr4007

http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=21&sid=b6da35e0-c101-4c00-b1f5-632a808dc6a6%40sessionmgr4007