Health. It’s such a simple word, but it can mean a multitude of different things to different people. There are countless diets and ways of eating (or not eating) that claim to be the best or the perfect way to eat. In reality, no way of eating is better than another. It’s really easy to get roped into what other people are telling you is right for your body, but it is different for EVERYONE and what works for someone else does NOT have to work for you.

Health isn’t just about what you eat, it’s about HOW you eat. When you label food as BAD, off-limits, or cheat meals — inevitably straying from the restrictions you put on yourself will cause you to feel guilty or feel as if you’ve done something wrong. That is the opposite of how you should feel.

In order to be healthy, you have to have a HEALTHY relationship with food. You can't make food into a god or give it power over you. Food isn’t meant to make you feel guilty, it’s literally meant to keep you alive! Food shouldn’t be a source of stress in our lives. I love eating healthy, but my relationship with food is so much more important than just eating ‘healthy’ foods.

I am definitely still learning about this and still struggle with this greatly. I’m working on how I view food and my body. It’s a process and it takes time to retrain your mind when you've been in the wrong mindset for too long. Food is meant to FUEL YOUR BODY. To allow you to move and work and live. It is not about feeling deprived, restricted, or run down. Food is meant to make you feel energized and satisfied.

I believe that it is so important to fuel your body with what makes YOU feel good. Not about what the Paleo/vegan communities or even your friends and family tell you to eat… because THEY are not you.

Life is not perfect, and the way we eat cannot be perfect either.

Eat dessert when you want to, but ENJOY WHAT YOU EAT. I have wasted (literally) countless hours making myself feel so guilty about what I eat, to the point where I started destroying my body because of it.

If you eat something that you don't think fits within the parameters of "health" and then tell yourself that it was a wrong of you to eat it or it was a "bad" choice… you are hurting your body so much more than if you just ENJOYED what you ate.

If I eat a pack of my favorite Justin’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups and after I eat I can’t stop thinking about the number of calories/fat/sugar I ate… THAT IS UNHEALTHY. But if I enjoy them and am thankful for the fact that I am able to eat them, that is healthy for me!

Eat food, but don’t over-analyze it. Eating dessert or fried food or bread doesn’t make you unhealthy, but obsessing over it does. Believe me! You will feel SO MUCH BETTER if you allow yourself to take the WORTH off of food. Food is just food. It doesn’t have emotions or superpowers. A healthy relationship with food will take you so much further than a restrictive diet. Let food be fun, enjoyable, and let it add joy to your life. But don't give it more power than it deserves.

It’s a sloooooow process to retrain my mind and my view of food/my body, since I’ve put an ridiculous amount of worth in food for so long. It’s worth it. Being able to enjoy dinner with friends and learning to not be nervous or scared when eating, feels SO much better than STRESSING and worrying about every bite of food that I put in my body. It comes from approaching food with the RIGHT MINDSET and fueling myself with what works for my body.

Here are a few tips:

Create a healthy relationship with food.

Don’t let anyone else tell you what you can and can’t eat.

There are NO “good” and “bad” foods. JUST FOOD. A quote that I love is, “The only food you should ever feel guilty about is food that you stole.”

Don’t allow food to control you or create unnecessary stress/guilt.

Don't overanalyze your food.

Learn what works for you and your body. What makes you feel good and allows you to live your best life.

Count ingredients over calories.

Fuel your body. Don’t wait until you’re starving to eat. Eat when you are hungry. NEVER deny yourself from eating when you are hungry.