Being healthy and looking healthy!

The wellness industry seems to have started with fitness and the gym with a strong focus on looking healthy.

When I worked in this field my looks were a big focus. There was a lot of pressure from staff and clients to fit a certain model of health for the customers.

In fact, the facility was open after hours to make sure staff had time to exercise. I don’t remember ever being asked about my nutrition. I do remember a culture of eating what you wanted as long as you worked it off.

Every day I saw something eye opening.

One day we had a competition for body builders and one of the competitors passed out. Later we learned that the body builder had taken supplements to change his physical appearance and had been eating a diet of rice cakes and water for a few weeks. The competitor was starving to reduce the look of fat which improved the visibility of muscles for the competition.

That was the first time I realized what you see is not always what you get.

What has all this taught me?

“Don’t judge a book by its cover”. This is so true!

We are all unique. Every person needs different things according to their nutritional gaps.

Coaching can help!

Some steps to consider would be exploring mindful eating to monitor how foods make you feel or examining your cravings to see what nutrients your body is missing.

Whatever method you choose to be healthy should always include your doctor to better understand any unique circumstances you may need to focus on in your journey. Including your doctor, yoga teacher, health coach etc. implements a intergrative approach to your wellness.