
There are several ways to think about anything and everything. We can have a ‘balanced’ approach by which we think logically about a situation or we can have a ‘ruthless’ approach by which we jump in and not give much thought to what we are doing or we could be the procrastinator who waits and thinks too much about something and so the list goes on…Of course no-one ever gets it all right. All we can do is chip away at life and all the choices, decisions and ideas. The same could be said for how we look after our health, fitness and wellbeing. We make choices and decisions usually based on how we are feeling at any given time. Of course there are those of us who carefully calculate what we need to do to make it work and to look after ourselves the best we can and those who jump in the deep end and dog paddle to keep their heads above water.
In the past few weeks I have encountered several people who have struggled to get the balance in their lives as far as exercise and of course that which I believe to be the ‘hardest’ part for most is with eating and food choices. So many people have that ‘all or nothing’ approach when it comes to eating. There is no doubt about it; food has a strong hold over most of us. We are conditioned from day one with food being a source of comfort, nourishment and giving us a sense of fulfilment. It is little wonder that it continues to have a strong affect on us as we mature and never really stops being a huge part of our lives. Food of course is essential to life. We have to eat it and every day!
Over the years I have seen so many people who have a love/hate relationship with food; particularly women. For many, food is the enemy and it becomes an all consuming part of their lives. Believe me, men are not exempt and more people than you would think have major food issues which really prevent them from enjoying what is one of the great pleasures in life – good food. This is where we get back to that magical word…’balance’ which can be elusive and difficult to find; however it is always within reach. I believe that for many, body image and food are a major hurdle to climb. Like anything however, when you know how….it is downright easy! Firstly we must decide to make peace with food. Yes that’s right…peace not war! It is also about allowing yourself to eat a variety of good nourishing wholefoods and maintaining a healthy outlook for your body. I also believe it essential we get organised with planning meals and create some ‘balance’ in our food choices, so as to not create an opening for poor food choices or bingeing which is all too common. It all starts with our thought processes – in our heads! Your thoughts create your actions and if you think strong, fit and healthy, choosing to eat well…guess what?