“Being healthy” is so much more than eating veggies. I wasn’t always someone who understood this. From a young age, my idea of health was limited to what I ate, or having a cold and flu. 

Through my certification as a Holistic Health Coach at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, founder Joshua Rosenthal shared a way of looking at health that affirmed what my beliefs had grown into. Your primary food – off the plate factors like relationships, career, spirituality, physical activity, and creativity -greatly impacts your emotions and physical health. It can override what goes on your plate. For example, chronic stress from an unsatisfying job can accelerate aging, cause sleeplessness, and lead to weight gain.

Your secondary food – what’s on your plate – is directly influenced by this primary nutrition. When your life feels out of balance, it can feel harder to want to meal prep or make healthy food choices consistently.

True well-being encompasses everything you consume – on and off the plate. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to health. What makes you feel alive and whole will be unique to you. You could eat “perfectly” and still feel unhealthy if those around you are draining, your job is soul-crushing, or your inner critic is constantly on overdrive.

From childhood into my early twenties, my own holistic health was out of whack, and I didn’t even realize it. Snappiness, confusion, jealousy, frustration – were my “normal” states. I didn’t just eat a lot; I ate for comfort when I felt upset. I used shopping as a way to cope with feeling angry or stressed. I was aimless, often bored, seeking attention through others or escaping through drinking, to fill that void. Along with breakouts and constant fatigue, it took nearly a decade of actively changing things to truly feel good from the inside out – for more than when all things seemed to be working out. 

The holistic health transformation I’ve experienced – from a self-proclaimed lonely, lost couch potato fueled by processed foods, to someone who is active, passion-driven, and craves whole foods – wasn’t about a restrictive diet. It was about how GOOD life became and how complete I’d feel, when prioritized, nurtured, taken care of, mind, body, and soul. To feel confident and at home in your body, or stop the need to be validated by someone else in order to feel worthy – that comes when you know, love, and be yourself fully.

Here are five key steps that help you redefine reality into your version of living healthier and happier:

1. Connect with Your “Why” Now

Reflect on your current sense of purpose. How does it integrate with your career, relationships, and day-to-day life? 

E.g. I believe my transformation and the experiences that contributed to it, led to my purpose to help women who struggled with self-doubt like I did. Reflection and feedback prompted my shift in careers to include this and use what I love as tools to helps others.

2. Recognize the Mind-Body-Spirit Connection

You’re not a robot. You’re a human living a complex life. Think of spirituality as what is meaningful and important to you – and the ripple effect it has on your thoughts, self-belief, feelings, and actions. Does your job serve you beyond working to pay bills? How is it affecting your relationships or eating habits? Are you moving your body in a way that feels best for you? Are you creating an impact for others that aligns with your personal values? E.g. Lack of spiritual fulfilment can manifest as a sense of emptiness and dissatisfaction, while causing trouble sleeping or feeling heavy in the body. Nothing about you is separate.

3. Explore Your Root Causes

Dig deeper than surface-level symptoms. Are limiting beliefs or past experiences contributing to imbalances in your life? E.g. Growing up, I always heard there was “not enough” of things like food or money. Believing this limited my ability to see the abundance and resources really around me. I wasn’t able to be appreciative or grateful, because my focus was on what was lacking, instead of what is or can be.

4. Define Your Long-Term Vision

Visualize beyond what is now, for this too shall pass. What does feeling truly healthy look and feel like for you in the long run? Without this, it’s easy to feel lost, aimless and as if there’s no point to our efforts. Having a vision of what you want life to be like, gives you goals to work towards, achieve, then set new ones as you grow – ultimately allowing you to feel consistently happy.

5. Commit to Wellness as a Lifestyle

This isn’t a quick fix. Think about sustainable changes so you can take action daily. E.g. Learning to move my body every morning at 04:30 started out with working my way back on the clock, from 06:30 to 06:00 to 05:00. Meal prep on Sunday mornings made it easier to keep up with day to day demands. Daily discipline even when I was tired or didn’t feel like it, organically led to improving my energy, outlook on life, finding hobbies I never thought I’d love and connecting with a individuals who influenced my chosen career.

Steer Clear of Quick Fixes. Choose What’s Sustainable Long-Term:

Fads and short-term diets tend to fail because they don’t address the underlying imbalances in your primary nutrition. For example, to see lasting results after a six-week fitness program, you need a mindset, habits and for many, a like minded community, to support eating without feeling deprived, making choices that align with how you want to feel, waking up early, or committing lunch breaks to moving your body. True wellness requires a holistic approach, time for your entire life to adapt, and openness to evolve.

Navigating Your Unique Path to Health:

It’s important to remember that everyone has a unique story that shapes their values and creates their version of “healthy.” You might encounter friends or family who don’t understand your desire for change. Respect their journey while staying true to your own. What resonates with one person may not resonate with another, and that’s okay.

Remember:

Starting to live healthier is about more than just food. Embracing holistic health acts as a powerful bio hack and preventive measure, enhancing your current well-being and fortifying future health. By prioritizing the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit, and understanding how your environment and relationships impact your well-being, you proactively address imbalances. Connect with your purpose, explore root causes, and commit to a lifestyle filled with what you love, unlocking lasting energy and vibrant health.

✨Ready to take the first step towards feeling healthier for you? Download my Free Self-Belief Challenge to boost your energy and confidence from the inside out!