Balance and Health
When I started writing Being Healthier, I was on a quest for balance. I wanted my emotional life to be steady as much as I wanted equilibrium with exercise and dieting. I wanted harmony.
I often felt like I was standing in the middle of a see-saw, but constantly tipped in one extreme or the other. I definitely had days of feeling that societal influence of “the skinnier the better”, where I’d equate skinnier with healthier and that my size was “not good enough”. I was either good or bad, skinny or fat, smart or dumb, either or. It is hard to find what works for you and what you want to be, whether it is average, normal, different, eccentric, unexpected or unique. At some point as we grow, we realize we need to make a shift, a change, a purposeful transition. That shift can often require a time of reflection, space to analyze and not grow but sit in the uncomfortable plateau to help us in our onward and upward future growth.
I have reached a better sense of balance, an equilibrium, a better sense of “healthy” in large part because of this blog. I’ve learned to sit in the uncomfortable, wait out feelings, pursue thoughts, learn to live in the now without focusing on the past or future. I also, most importantly, learned that I am more than “good enough” and it has nothing at all to do with the size of my body.
(Me, sitting in the “now”)
There is an enormous societal influence implying to many (young) women that their bodies are not “good enough”. Controversial, organizations like Healthy At Every Size emphasize the opposite but rather the exact opposition of health in my opinion, their goal is to end the war on obesity. Their mantra is that every size is healthy. Not entirely a bad idea but…
I cannot help but think that “Healthy at Every Size” is missing the point too! It should be “Acceptance at Every Size”, acknowledging that one size does not fit all- but- Obesity is not healthy, it has clear correlations with increased disease markers such as high blood pressure, high triglycerides, insulin resistance, Type 2 Diabetes, increased risk of sudden death, increased risk of heart attack, among many many other consequences to health.
Skinny = Healthy …. Obesity = Healthy … That leaves somewhere in the middle yet to be determined.
Being healthier, my journey of becoming healthier, searching for health, learning about health has brought me to the conclusion that health is not “all or none”. It is not skinnier or taller, smaller or bigger, above or below, it is not vegan nor is it sugar-free, reduced fat or high protein. It is balance, I equate balance with “being healthy”.
Balance of consuming as much positive as possible and letting go of as much negative as possible simultaneously to create my “self”. It is almost like a pendulum, with its different storage modes of energy, swaying smoothly between all areas. When you are aligned, balanced, in health – you are able to transition elegantly and efficiently. This healthy balance, largely created and manifested through diet and exercise, can prepare you to also handle any emotional challenges that may arise with ease, elegance and efficiency.
What does healthy mean to you?
