Your health is something you should never take for granted. It should be cherished near and dear to your heart because it impacts everything you do. It determines if you can have kids, how long you’ll live, and how many complications you’ll suffer through. It also influences your decision making and can even lead to financial ruin. Don’t allow your life and wellbeing to be sabotaged by unhealthy vices. 

Eating healthy, balanced meals, working out regularly, taking vitamins and supplements, avoiding excessive alcohol consumption, and keeping your brain engaged are all things we’ve heard from a very young age that can help us live a long life. How many of us actually check off those items on a daily basis though? I’ll be the first to admit it’s easier said than done. 

Let’s start with why eating healthy is so beneficial. Not only is your body built by what you put in it, but it can also be broken down in the same breath. Fueling our bodies with complex carbs, protein to keep us full, and natural sugars instead of artificial ones is half the battle of achieving our weight and fitness goals. Change can be as simple as switching from white bread to whole wheat bread as long as it’s sustained. 

Sometimes we have to consult dieticians or nutritionists who can identify what food groups we’re deficient in and create a food plan for us to follow. Sometimes it involves setting aside time each week to meal prep something nutritious so that we aren’t skipping meals or falling into the trap of grabbing fast food when we’re swamped with work. Oftentimes, it requires holding yourself accountable and setting attainable goals, milestones, and steps so you don’t lose momentum from trying to change your entire diet cold turkey. 

Food is one of the silent killers, especially in America. Portion sizes are out of control, there’s all kinds of weird chemicals and preservatives in literally everything, and there’s no way of guaranteeing that you won’t buy a healthy serving of salmonella with your bagged lettuce. Most of the older people who had flourishing gardens have passed on and many of the items labeled as “organic” in the grocery store is everything BUT organic. 

Unfortunately, eating at home as much as possible and controlling your salt, fat, and unnecessary sugar intake is the only way to truly take your diet into your own hands. Anything bought from a fast food restaurant has more than likely been deep fried in oil while most of the quick frozen meals are strokes waiting to happen. Even those items marketed as healthy tend to have extra unhealthy items lurking in the ingredients list.

Eating correctly is definitely a major uphill battle, but can take you that extra mile from toned to ripped once you have your fitness in order. Oh, and we can’t forget about all the water we’re supposed to drink each day. If you’re anything like me, you know just how daunting it is to drink through a whole 40 ounce water bottle in a day. In fact, it almost never happens, even though it’s vital to maintaining proper body functions. Lack of water and dehydration can also be the culprit of that pesky cystic acne that never seems to truly disappear. 

Working out, no matter if you choose a fancy gym membership, a YouTube fitness creator, a running club, or even a cycling club, is one of the most impactful ways you can benefit your health throughout your life. It can be the difference between needing knee surgery in old age or staying naturally flexible over time. Moving your body makes sure that your blood is pumping properly from your heart and the release of endorphins is a great way to counteract the many stressful situations we encounter daily.

One of the most important things I’ve learned over the last six months or so in my fitness journey is that I have to enjoy working out to an extent. Certain moves will never be easy just like I’ll never look forward to some activities. Figuring out the actions that can keep me engaged just long enough to actually finish a 30 minute workout video made the most difference in my approach to working out. I need music, a YouTube video from one of my favorite creators, or a football game to keep me working until the end. 

Sometimes, I’m more stressed about cooking dinner and prepping lunch bags for the next day that I see my 30 minute workout as just another hurdle to tackle before I’m actually able to sit down for the evening. It gives me dread if I know I have a more complicated meal to put together and most days my brain and body just aren’t in the workout. On the days when I’m tapped in, there’s something intrinsic that just makes me lock in to the workout and allows those 30 minutes to simply fly by. Now if only I can channel that energy every single day, I’d be a beast. 

The vices of our youth - the drinking, the vaping or smoking, the unnecessary risks, and the partying - catch up to us sooner, rather than later. Don’t allow a fleeting, short-term feeling plant seeds of disease or addiction that you’ll have to spend the rest of your life digging up. Moderation is key. If you can’t practice moderation, abstinence is the next best tool to ensure you don’t fall into a death trap. Simply saying no, while isn’t the cutest in the moment, could actually save your life one day.

No matter what you aspire in life, everything we do, think, dream, believe, and get comes from our health. There’s no way to get a new body, so it’s best we take care of the one we have before we’re forced to course correct anything that was neglected in our youth. Beauty starts and truly radiates from the inside out. 

If you enjoyed this episode, let me know by giving this video a thumbs up, leaving a comment, and subscribing to my channel. I’ll see you in the next episode! 

Signed, 

Jessica Marie