Thanks to my fabulous circle of personal development junkies I’ve decided to make October the month I FINALLY start eating better! Granted, it’s not like I have the most horrible eating habits – 8 times out of 10 I’ll take fruit over cake, I generally eat small portions and I actually really love veggies. I also enjoy exercise now more than ever because I’ve noticed how it positively affects my overall mood. However, lately my body’s been telling me that I need to kick it up a notch.
The course of action? The most ridiculous dose of antibiotics I’ve ever had the misfortune of having to take. It was so bad that even after the treatment I spent close to a year trying to heal and every time I went to the doctor they said I was fine.
Fine my ass! I was still up in the middle of the night with awful nausea and stomach pains. The eventual diagnosis? I had post-infectious IBS as a result of whatever bacteria I had mysteriously ingested. Then all they did was put me on anti-anxiety meds. So yes, at the age 0f 22 I was popping anxiety meds like they were candy as I survived my last semester of college.
I knew something was clearly wrong with this picture.
Upon graduation I told myself I’d have to start getting healthy. I started by quitting smoking. Then I made it my mission to start an exercise regimen. It took some time and a lot of trial and error but I’m finally pretty solid in the exercise department. 9 months of regular yoga, Zumba when I work out at home and as of late Mixed Martial Arts.
I learned about the effect the mind has on the body. I also learned how regular exercise, and subsequently what you put in your body, can help the mind. The mind then helps the body.
Pretty nifty, right?
Anyway, October is the month I’ll be revving up my eating habits. More veggies, way less dairy and if I can muster it I’ll tone down the coffee. I’ll be doing this will the help of Kris Carr and her lovely books and eguides:
Crazy Sexy Juices and Succulent Smoothies
Which brings me to my next point…
How on earth do we start getting healthy to begin with? How do we hold ourselves accountable? How do we ensure we don’t rip our hair out?
Step 1: Find something you actually like.
I spent much of 2011 trying out all these different exercise techniques. I bought a boat-ton of yoga classes, signed up at the gym, got a trainer, tried P90x, downloaded some Zumba classes etc. etc. etc.
Needless to say I was totally burned out and frustrated because I was too busy trying to keep up with a bunch of different things. So, I stuck to what I really enjoyed and knew I’d actually go to. Yoga was the clear winner and I’ve been attending regular classes for about 9 months.
Recently I also rekindled my love for mixed martial arts and was fortunate enough to find a studio six blocks from my job. Yay!
Step 2: Enlist some friends.
My co-workers and I try to keep each other accountable. Granted, this doesn’t always work but when it does it’s pretty awesome. We remind each other to order the healthier food, talk about our workouts from the night before and talk recipes. We’ll also share any new and exciting fitness classes we come across.
Fact of the matter is there’s strength in numbers. If you’re worries you’ll fall of the wagon enlist some buddies to go along for the ride.
Step 3: Don’t look for a diet, look for a lifestyle.
Diets and fads don’t work – and the reason is because they are difficult to sustain for long periods of time. Sure, you’ll find this awesome diet where you shed some pounds but as soon as the diet is over you gain it all back again.
Instead of looking for diets, look for lifestyle changes. That’s why I was drawn to Kris Carr – she’s not touting a diet fad, she’s teaching people how to actually live healthy on a day to day basis.
And thus, I made my first ever green smoothie 
What tips do you have for healthy living? Are you a fan of any wellness coaches? Got some green juice recipes? Share in the comments below!
