I saw this sign while I was at the YMCA...
This got me thinking about the definition of
healthy and how it relates to our happiness.What comes to your mind when people say the word "health"? Common responses might be:
- eating the right foods like fruits and vegetables
- running, lifting weights & all forms of exercise
- body mass index, fat percentage
- losing weight
- essential vitamins
In general, when people hear the word "healthy," they most likely think of some combination of diet, exercise, and that "ideal" body they are striving for. But in actuality, it means
so much more than that.
The
World Health Organization defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being." They describe determinants of health as culture, genetics, working conditions, social support, physical environment, education, personal relationships and lifestyle practices. Health is a combination of everything around us, not just the physical state of our bodies.
I came to the conclusion that in order to
really be healthy, we must also be happy. They should be one in the same. Despite what the percentile charts, BMI index graphs and doctors say, I don't think there is one ideal that fits all people. I think there are healthy habits and lifestyle choices, but people need to find the balance that fits who they are.
I look back to the summer of 2010, when I spent 6 days a week training for my marathon. I was running 5, 10, 15, 20 miles at a time. The exercise was great for my muscles, lungs, and heart, but it got to the point that I was miserable. My body ached, I was injured several times, I had never felt such physical pain in my life. I devoted so much time to running, that I didn't have much time for anything else. Instead of a fun way to relieve stress and enjoy nature, it became a dreaded ritual that I forced my body to complete. I will never say I regret running a marathon, because I was SO proud to accomplish that goal. But I can 99.9% guarantee you that it was the last marathon I will ever run. By some standards, I was at a peak of physical health, but it didn't feel that way because my mental and social health were being neglected. My personal sense of happiness was not being fulfilled. Through this experience, I realized that I am not a "marathon-runner." I did not get addicted to the "runner's high" (in fact, I never once felt it), and after crossing the finish line, I didn't run another mile for about 5 months. And I was completely happy about it.
In contrast, there are people who run multiple marathons every year. They have a passion for running long distances and they don't feel complete without it. This is their sense of health and happiness and it works for them. I admire their dedication, but I do not desire their lifestyle. It just doesn't work for me.
Have you ever seen those super skinny, crazy-fit people at the gym? They count their calories every second and exercise religiously for an hour or more each day. I used to envy them...until I turned into one. In the spring of 2006, my quest for health (and dream of being a model) quickly became an obsession. Food was no longer a source of happiness, but my enemy. I went from a size 6 to a 00 and lost 40 pounds over a 3-month time period. That's a lot for a girl who is 5'7 and started at 137. I compared myself to every photoshopped image in the media and I associated happiness with losing weight. I had this twisted idea that if I could only lose a few more pounds, then I would be happy. But this cycle was addictive and it consumed my life. Even at 97 pounds, I hated my body.
I ate fruits and vegetables, protein and whole grains, drank lots of water and exercised regularly. According to
Shape Magazine, I was the picture-perfect ideal of "healthy." But it was a lie. I spent every second of every day obsessing over calories and exercise plans. I became distant from friends and family, because they didn't understand me. They didn't support my quest for health and looked worried all the time instead of being proud of my accomplishments. I lost focus in school, sports, and work, because my only purpose in life revolved around my body. I became self-centered and turned into a dark, depressed person I could barely recognize. Despite how I tried to convince myself, this quest for "health"
did not bring me happiness.
Obviously, my story is an extreme example. But in contrast, there are people who are crazy health-nuts who eat dessert once a year and live on celery and bran flakes. And yes, even though it's hard to believe, they are happy. Some people are genuinely happy with their ultra healthy, organic lifestyle. Again, I admire their commitment, but I know it's not for me. I know that I get obsessive and restrictive if I am too controlling with my diet.
Over the past few years, I think I
finally learned how to understand my body and my needs. When I'm hungry, I eat, when I'm full, I stop. When I'm craving something sweet, I have a small snack. But when I'm sad, I don't reach for the ice cream anymore, I write in my journal. When I'm depressed, I don't get a bag of chips, I read or call a friend. I just needed to learn how to differentiate the messages that came from my body, my mind and my emotions. If I just
listen, instead of control, I am happy and content. I think that is what truly being healthy is all about. It's not about trying to change your body to fit some unrealistic ideal body type, it's not about trying to fit between the hashes on the doctor's health-chart, it's just learning to be happy with who you are.
I really love the organization
Beauty Redefined, because they are so good at putting my jumble of thoughts and feelings into brilliant academic papers and articles. They are such a positive inspiration for the world. They've been under attack recently and accused for "promoting obesity." Some people might say the same thing about this post. So I want to clarify - I'm not saying we should satisfy every craving, or stop exercising because watching TV makes us happier. The message I want to convey is we should focus less on
trying so hard to fit the world's ideals and just
enjoy life, and love who we are, because there is more to being "healthy" then the numbers on a scale.
I think the greatest way to understand this concept is to think of your best friend, your sister, someone extremely close to you. Do you think you would love her more, or be happier if she was skinnier? Would you dislike her if she gained 5 pounds around Christmas time? Do you think negative thoughts about her if she only exercised once this week? Would you punish her if she ate too many desserts? These questions sound a little ridiculous, right? Of course we would love our friends, our mothers, our sisters, no matter what. We love them for who they are, not their physical appearance. Well shouldn't we treat ourselves the same? I know people are naturally more critical of themselves, but I hope we can all learn to love ourselves and be kind to ourselves, regardless of the body we are in.
I think once you can do this, once you can truly love every part of yourself and place your value on who you are as a person, your quest to be healthy AND happy will be complete.
but once I checked everything off the list, then I was allowed to play outside or talk to my friends on AOL Instant Messenger. It was a great feeling to look at all of things I accomplished.
While daily, weekly and monthly checklists are helpful... I think every person should have a life checklist, a list of goals they really want to accomplish. I started a list of 100 goals when I was 16 years old and have added, edited and adapted it over the past 5 years. While some of my goals are crazy and would be expensive, such as #100: Go into space or #58 Visit the pyramids in Egypt... others are simple and can be easily accomplished with a little determination such as #41 Compete in a triathlon or #24 Find a 4-leaf clover.
runner. It's just not my thing. I've always been a sprinter, running 100 or 200 meter dashes... the mile? No way. Too long. But somehow, run a marathon found its way onto my list. I tried training one summer, but life and bad weather got in the way. So I took it off my list... but still deep down I thought it would be so amazing. The next summer, I found a friend with the same goal, so back onto my list it went. We trained together the entire summer and then ran the San Francisco Marathon. I wasn't a spectacular runner, I didn't finish with a qualifying time... but I finished, and for me that was a miracle. Even looking back, I don't know how I did it and I honestly never want to do it again- but thanks to my Bucket List, I accomplished a goal and had an experience that taught me a lesson.
