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I feel like that is such a broad question with so many answers. For some, the answer may be as simple as staying fit and eating healthy, but for me I feel it's more than that. Of course staying fit and eating healthy are on the list but I think being mentally healthy is important as well living green.
Having an active lifestyle through exercise is an important component to living your healthiest life. Aside from helping to control weight, exercise can help combat health conditions as well as boost your mood and energy levels, and promote better sleep, something as a busy mom, I feel like I never get enough of.
Exercise and eating healthy definitely go hand in hand. In fact, when trying to lose weight, your nutrition plays an even bigger role, but should also include some exercise. Eating healthy, wholesome foods full of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, to name a few, will help combat health conditions. Wait, didn't I just write that about exercise? I did. Sounds like a double punch on those health conditions. Eating healthy can also boost your mood and energy (hey, more double punches), give you a stronger immune system and boost your mental alertness. As you can see healthy eating plays a much bigger role than just keeping that waistline slim and trim.
An aspect of being healthy that some people may not consider is your mental health. I think we look towards the outer appearance and if you look healthy and fit, then you think that's good enough. But I feel having a positive self image about yourself, as well as not overloading and overwhelming yourself is just as important. We've all read how stress can aid in weight gain or put a stop to our weight less, but think about what it does for your mind and the inner struggles you may have. Many of us feel we need to be perfect or constantly be in the go, but that's just not true. We don't need to be perfect parents, spouses or even people. It's ok not to do everything or be perfect at everything you do do. Knowing that is OK to leave a few things undone can really help make you feel better. Taking time each day to destress by meditating, sitting in a quiet room, relaxing on the souch or unwinding from the day can help clear our minds and leave us at ease. It can also help us be more productive the next day. We need to stop telling ourselves we're not good enough, thin enough and smart enough. When you feel the urge to have negative thoughts about yourself, start thinking about the good qualities that encompass who you are. It can boost your mood and put your mind at ease. And I think a peaceful mind can truly help becoming the healthiest person we can be inside and out.
And finally, for me, I think the last component to becoming the healthiest person I can be is to live as green as we possibly can. So many of our products, and even foods, contain chemicals and pesticides. These chemicals and pesticides are meant to keep bugs away from crops or give us the best cleaning power but they are harmful to our bodies. These chemicals and pesticides are linked to health problems, so I'm doing my best to become as green as possible. It is, however, a fairly large and overwhelming process, so I'm taking it one baby step at a time. I first started making our own laundry detergent and have since moved on to our own dishwashing detergent. I also only use my reusable totes when shopping, whether it's to the grocery store or Target. I have also begun buying organic and all natural foods. Now, not everything I buy is organic or all natural, but I'm starting small with a few things and working my up. It is more expensive but if you learn to reprioritize and cut back on some of the processed foods you don't need, you can make work. We also stopped buying cleaning products with chemicals in them, as well do things such as shutting all the lights off when we're not in the room, and recycle everythin we can. We're not fully green yet, but we're working on getting as close as we can. One of my goals is to start composting too. That will realy help with waste.
That's pretty much what I feel healthy is to me. Of course everyone's definition is different and no one definition is right or wrong. It's all about what your opinion is.
