“It’s more about who you know than what you know.” If you’re in the work force or worked before, you’ve probably heard this saying or can relate to it. Just take a look at the White House and you can see a first hand example of this. Did our incumbent president earn his position based on talent, effort, and achievement, or was it through class, privilege, and wealth? I won’t answer for the sake of not getting into an argument or debate but you get the picture. Another example I can think of, for all you sports fans out there, is the recent hiring of Steve Nash as head coach for the Brooklyn Nets. Steve is one of the most decorated point guards in NBA history but has zero head coaching experience. So how did he get the position you ask? Relationships. The general manager of the Nets just so happened to be one of Nash’s former teammates. Now I’m not saying he’s going to be a bad head coach, I’m just saying that he got the position based off his reputation and relationship with the ‘right’ people.

One of the things I’ve been pondering and reflecting on lately are things in life that show a direct, proportional relationship of effort/work to the end result. I’m sure there are numerous examples of this but for this post, I’ll be discussing how healthy eating and movement can have a direct impact on how you think, feel, and show up in life.  

You are what you eat

Notice how you feel after you finish a healthy, balanced meal versus an unhealthy one? For me, it influences other aspects of my life including whether I sit in front of the tv for an hour or pick up a book I’ve been meaning to read. Now I’m not saying to eat healthy 100% of the time because that’s unrealistic and just no fun. I’m saying eat more healthy, nutritious, natural, unprocessed foods than unhealthy, processed, fried foods. I wrote a post about food and healthy eating almost 5 years ago that still rings true for me. My goal is to follow the 80/20 rule where I eat healthy 80% of the time with 20% allotted to ‘cheat meals’ to keep me (and my sanity) balanced. The great thing about all of this is that it’s never too late to start incorporating healthy eating habits into your life. You are in control of what goes into and out of your mouth, so choose wisely.

Movement = medicine

The great Sir Isaac Newton summed it up best with his first law of motion when he stated that ‘a body at rest will remain at rest unless an outside force acts on it.’ There are a lot outside forces wrestling for our attention today with screens (tv and computers), phones, and ‘breaking news,’ at the forefront. The older (and wiser) I become, the more I realize how much movement and exercise contributes my overall health; mental, physical, and emotional. Would you rather take a pill everyday for the rest of your life or incorporate more physical activity instead? If you ask me, the choice is easy…. I’d take the latter any day of the week. Movement is something unique to each one of us and changes as we evolve and grow through the years. What I used to enjoy in my 20s has shifted in my 30s and will continue to evolve into the next decades of my life. Finding that thing you enjoy is the key to staying active and healthy through our life.

The wonderful thing about healthy eating and movement is that you’re in control of things. You can’t control what people will say or how they will act but you can control what goes into your mouth/body and if you decide to get some exercise or stay glued to your screen. The next time you’re deciding on what to eat or whether to go for that walk/run, just remember, you have to take the stairs, not the elevator. Stay safe, stay sane, and wash your hands! ❤

QOTP: “Health is not about the weight you lose. It’s about the life you gain.” –unknown