This week is going to be a little different. I usually am reviewing a product that I’ve purchased, but this week I wanted to explore whether investing in health and wellness (and yes there is definitely a cost associated with this) is worth it.
Initial Thoughts: Some things were really just a gimmick to get you to spend money, but others really worked. I felt like taking a daily multivitamin and eating a decently balanced diet alongside getting in some physical activity should be more than enough.
What I’ve discovered: The health and wellness journey is a lifelong pursuit. While it may seem crazy to spend good money on vitamins and other things designed to help your body run optimally, at some point your health will cost you. I’ve matured to the thought of being preventative versus attempting to cure something. Prevention can be very costly because many things usually aren’t in place. For instance, having a balanced diet regularly with fresh fruits and veggies can honestly be expensive. I grew up with some canned or frozen veggies in the house. The truth is fresh broccoli tastes so much better and worth the extra work or frozen (I have no idea why this is the first thing I thought of..LOL). Since we’ve started getting meal delivery kits and have used more fresh herbs with cooking, there has definitely been an awareness with the way you feel after eating even when full. You just feel better. Preservatives and additives seem to gunk up the systems in our body which tends to lead to the sluggishness we feel after eating junk or fast food. I know that it’s convenient and please believe my children are fans of McDonalds, but I encourage them to recognize the importance of a home cooked meal for it’s health and wellness benefits as well as saving money. There are so many diets and varying styles of eating that can improve your health. Research is one of the best ways to identify what’s something you can consider that you won’t fail at. One of the worst things you can do is hop on a fad because you want to lose weight quickly or others you know are doing it and allow yourself to become miserable. As I’ve stated before, this is a lifelong journey. You have to be dedicated to making small changes that can have a big impact on the quality of your life. If going vegan is your best option go for it, but if not and you still want fish then try pescatarian. We choose to eat meat in our household and I honestly don’t have a desire to stop. I’ve tried going meatless before and feel that having a day or two without it is fine, but I’m not giving up bacon (you can feel how you want to about this but bacon really should be its own food group). I recognize that some of the things I enjoy aren’t the best for my body so I choose to do them sparingly. Moderation is very subjective so I try to avoid allowing myself to make up rules and I know I’m not alone with this. Be truthful with yourself and make decisions that you enjoy as well as lend to your overall wellness.
I’ve never been a fan of drinking my calories so teas and smoothies aren’t something I would focus spending my money on but there is definitely a huge marketplace for these types of products. I’m sure at least one of your friends is apart of a MLM that sells some version of them. I myself am a Beachbody coach and we sell Shakeology (I drink it regularly a seen personal benefits but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea and that’s okay). Most of these items are meal replacements and contain vitamins and nutrients you possibly miss throughout the day solely relying on food consumption. Aside from meal replacement options there are a host of of items sold designed to improve/enhance your workout performance. There’s also tons of multivitamins and vitamins you can take that are designed for specific functions of the body. There’s things for gut health, skin, hair and nails, eye health, improved focus, etc. Here’s an area I feel like you need to figure out what you need versus what’s just being pushing in front of your face to get you to spend more money. With many options, it’s easy to choose nothing or take forever deciding that you end up missing valuable time without anything. When it specifically comes to weight loss some there are definitely great products out there and several will help you lose weight (It’s not science though because if the amount of calories you consume is less than the amount of calories you burn over a period of time you will lose weight). Regardless of your choice, there is NO easy way to obtain a healthy lifestyle and wellness. You have to work at anything you want and this is no different.
Is it worth it: Heck Yes!!!!! You have one life and one body. What you can control, do that to the best of your ability. When I reached nearly 250 pounds prior to starting my health journey, I knew I couldn’t sustain that lifestyle. I cut out all the crap (well most of it anyway), increased my water intake, and started moving. It seemed like nothing changed for a super long period of time, but then one day I knew I needed smaller pants. Aging and pregnancy haven’t done my body any favors and truthfully it’s slowed down the amount of progress I see in shorter periods of time, but thankfully I didn’t allow either of those to be a crutch for me. You can pay now or you can pay later, but I feel like investing in your health is the better option.
What are you thoughts and/or current actions in regards to our health and wellness?