Simple doesn't mean easy.

thoughts on health

As some of you know from my past writings, I went through a period in my life when for nearly three years I abstained from gluten, all animal products, corn, soy, caffeine, processed foods, alcohol, most oils, and most soy products. Bottom line: I ate fruits and vegetables and made fresh green juice everyday. I took on these extreme measures because I was a sick girl, no doctor could figure out why and I was tired of it.

Not only did I fully and totally regain my health through the undertaking of my extreme dietary measures, but my life became very busy as a result of my newfound energy! I started my own Personal Training business, for one. But also, my kids had suddenly blossomed into full-blown teens and I was parenting my butt off. (Those of you who think that that babies, toddlers and small children are time consuming and that it only gets less busy as they get older …umm….)

As my energy needs expanded, the strictness of my diet began to backfire on me. I craved foods that were more densely packed with both calories and fat (that were not nut-based or processed foods.) I was working hard, working out hard, and parenting hard. I tried bigger salads, bigger smoothies, more baked potatoes. But in the end, I had to admit to myself that it just wasn’t enough.

Because I had ethical as well as health reasons for abstaining from animal products, I really grappled with this newfound craving. I kept with it though, and soon found out that all I needed to do was consume a small amount of meat about 3 times a week in order to feel balanced. A fist-sized portion of chicken cut up into a salad, or the same amount of fish cut up into several veggie-based tacos, for example, was (and is) enough to ground me mentally and physically.

I’ve written quite a bit about the art of listening to symptoms. In my opinion, if you feel amazing, chances are you are probably pretty healthy inside. If you have chronic symptoms (fatigue, body pain, digestive issues, or just the feeling that something is “off,”) chances are there is a bit of work to do. The path to health is not always easy, but in my experience it is always worth it.

Last year I had several stressful situations come up all at once and I got really run down. The physical symptoms I experienced made it very clear to me that I had fallen out of balance with my health and was in dire need of a LOT of rest. I also needed to be more conscious about committing to the supplements I knew I needed, as well as fine-tuning my diet again. Once I did all these things, I began to feel better. But it wasn’t instantaneous as I had allowed myself to get extremely run down.

Since then, the stressful situations in my life have simmered but not fully disappeared. Luckily, I have learned to prioritize rest and good sleep under all circumstances and I am committed to keeping my supplements regular and my diet nurturing.

There were moments in the past months when the “old me” would have fretted about things all night long thus setting myself up for an even worse reality the following day. But I made clear to myself that lack of sleep is no longer an option. I want the best for myself so I can be the best to others around me. It’s that simple and that hard.

Yes! Doing the right thing for ourselves can be hard, haven’t you noticed? Simple does not mean easy. But the wonderful thing about “simple” is that it’s easy to remember: I will sleep tonight or I will keep up on my supplements are simple mantras I recently re-committed to. The personal integration of fulfilling these mantras is easier said than done but I invite the journey. Another trainer I know often says “Set the goal, get the goal.” Can’t make it more simple than that.

I remember when I was pregnant with my first daughter and one of the birthing books I was reading said this about labor: “It’s hard and you can do it.” Those words not only got me through two natural births, but still resonate with me today.

Wisdom is learned experience. Experience can be hard fought. One of my main goals in life is to feel good in my body (because I know what it feels like not to.) I keep at it, through life’s ups and downs, bent on cultivating wisdom and remaining open-minded as I do so. In ever-changing circumstances, I stay committed. It’s hard and I can do it. Set the goal, get the goal. Bit by bit. Frame by frame. Onward.