"Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food." - Hippocrates
I ate unhealthily for about 17 years of my life, and now when I think about all the decisions I have made food wise, I shudder at the thought of the foods I have chosen to consume in the past. Due to my sweet tooth I ate loads of candy and sweets, had ice cream, varieties of crackers, loads of dairy, lots of fruit, and little vegetables. Due to this combined with my lack of exercise, I had acne all over my t-zone (forehead, nose, under nose, and chin) along with feeling tired and sluggish. I never really let this affect me until later on in high school.
I still ate unhealthily from my freshman through junior year of high school; I strictly remember my mom putting me on what she called the "salmon diet" where I had poached salmon for a few days along with cantaloupe, water, and avoided processed foods and sugars like candy and muffins. Now although my face cleared up, I was still against the whole "eating healthily" idea, as it was so unappealing to me. Now, I wished I had listened to her.
A few months ago, I promised to start exercising a few days a week through running or using an elliptical in order to stay in shape for college and the upcoming summer. Although it was a rough start, my whole lifestyle has changed because of it. Through exercising and choosing the healthier foods to eat, I feel so much better than before; I feel more energetic, my acne has cleared up dramatically, and I am more relaxed. Along with the want to eat healthier which pushed me to start exercising and making better decisions food wise, the fact that I want to become involved in the health field as a nutritionist or dietitian pushed me to change my eating and exercise habits.
I am so pleased with the results of me attempting to live a healthy lifestyle. I cannot believe the food decisions I have made in my 17 years of living, and am glad that I can make up for them now by choosing the better, healthier option. Now I do splurge occasionally on chocolate and ice cream, however I always try to resist my cravings for the sweets, or eat them in moderation in order to preserve my choice to eat healthier. I have started consuming salads on a regular basis with a light balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil dressing, along with rolled oats in the morning that I cook with hot water and put blueberries, walnuts, raisins, a small spoonful of brown sugar, and chia seeds in. These are only a few of the food options I have chosen to consume; there are many more dishes I have started eating that are lower in sugar and carbs. Now I am no athlete; I do not participate in my school's sports team or anything like that and have to be on a specific diet because of it; I chose to start exercising and eating healthier on my own time, and in staying committed to it, I feel so much more radiant and positive about myself.
I am not encouraging everyone to start eating better, but I just wanted to inform people about my change in lifestyle and how that has affected my life in only a short time. Eating healthy and exercising is definitely a commitment, but once you get into the groove of making better decisions, you will feel better about yourself both physically and mentally.
"Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind, and spirit. When one is free from physical disabilities and mental distractions, the gates of the soul open." - B.K.S. lyengar
I ate unhealthily for about 17 years of my life, and now when I think about all the decisions I have made food wise, I shudder at the thought of the foods I have chosen to consume in the past. Due to my sweet tooth I ate loads of candy and sweets, had ice cream, varieties of crackers, loads of dairy, lots of fruit, and little vegetables. Due to this combined with my lack of exercise, I had acne all over my t-zone (forehead, nose, under nose, and chin) along with feeling tired and sluggish. I never really let this affect me until later on in high school.
I still ate unhealthily from my freshman through junior year of high school; I strictly remember my mom putting me on what she called the "salmon diet" where I had poached salmon for a few days along with cantaloupe, water, and avoided processed foods and sugars like candy and muffins. Now although my face cleared up, I was still against the whole "eating healthily" idea, as it was so unappealing to me. Now, I wished I had listened to her.
A few months ago, I promised to start exercising a few days a week through running or using an elliptical in order to stay in shape for college and the upcoming summer. Although it was a rough start, my whole lifestyle has changed because of it. Through exercising and choosing the healthier foods to eat, I feel so much better than before; I feel more energetic, my acne has cleared up dramatically, and I am more relaxed. Along with the want to eat healthier which pushed me to start exercising and making better decisions food wise, the fact that I want to become involved in the health field as a nutritionist or dietitian pushed me to change my eating and exercise habits.
I am so pleased with the results of me attempting to live a healthy lifestyle. I cannot believe the food decisions I have made in my 17 years of living, and am glad that I can make up for them now by choosing the better, healthier option. Now I do splurge occasionally on chocolate and ice cream, however I always try to resist my cravings for the sweets, or eat them in moderation in order to preserve my choice to eat healthier. I have started consuming salads on a regular basis with a light balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil dressing, along with rolled oats in the morning that I cook with hot water and put blueberries, walnuts, raisins, a small spoonful of brown sugar, and chia seeds in. These are only a few of the food options I have chosen to consume; there are many more dishes I have started eating that are lower in sugar and carbs. Now I am no athlete; I do not participate in my school's sports team or anything like that and have to be on a specific diet because of it; I chose to start exercising and eating healthier on my own time, and in staying committed to it, I feel so much more radiant and positive about myself.
I am not encouraging everyone to start eating better, but I just wanted to inform people about my change in lifestyle and how that has affected my life in only a short time. Eating healthy and exercising is definitely a commitment, but once you get into the groove of making better decisions, you will feel better about yourself both physically and mentally.
"Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind, and spirit. When one is free from physical disabilities and mental distractions, the gates of the soul open." - B.K.S. lyengar