The best gift that you can give to yourself is self-care. When you are loving to yourself, you can be your best self and you can give back to others. Investing in yourself and your health is actually self-less, not selfish.
One of the best ways to show up for yourself is with healthy choices. Ask yourself, ‘What does health mean for me?’ I know that people are confused more than ever trying to understand what healthy means. And believe it or not, eating healthy or being healthy is subjective. As you age, your wellness needs change too.
With all of this confusion about being healthy – where can we start? A good place to start is to tune in with what feels good for you. It’s the kind of feeling that embodies wholesome goodness. The kind of good that in years to come, you know you’ve invested in your health. It is the opposite of immediate gratification so beware of that and understand the difference.
What makes this confusing is the spectacular way our society markets holidays in an unhealthy way. Here we are facing another holiday that should be celebrating pure love yet the materialistic component is shoved in our faces causing more stress. The sugar chocolate companies make a fortune on their heart-shaped boxes filled with cancer and diabetes causing ingredients. Gas, bloating and chronic illness is not romantic. Buying toxins for loved ones is not what you want to do. What gets us off course is the way that we have been duped into believing that it is all about the ‘things’ that we buy for loved ones that shows how much we love them. What’s worse is that these chemical treats and stress about affording lavish gifts are damaging not loving.
Healthy is the new sexy. Getting to understand what your body needs may require professional evaluation. Maybe you feel sluggish and fatigued, but you still don’t know why after trying everything possible. Perhaps it’s gut health, thyroid functioning, or chronic inflammation. You may be able to aid your healing by eliminating dairy, maybe taking sugar out of your diet helps or getting on a treadmill reduced that ache in your leg. It can get overwhelming – I get it. Understanding what your body needs now is crucial. It may be different than five or ten years ago. Or maybe you’re suffering in the same way you have been for a decade but you just accept that is how you are meant to feel. Humans are meant to thrive. Just look at the blue zones where people gracefully age beyond 100 years old without chronic illness that is so rampant here in America. We deserve to age well too.
Start somewhere. Feel empowered if your body is telling you that you need to tune into your health needs. Common sense goes a long way too. I know a lot of people reading this are well aware of what they could change. The first step is recognizing it. The next step is taking action for healthy change. If you need help – ask for it. If you are seeking a natural approach consider seeking out a Naturopathic Doctor who understands root cause medicine. Health plans that cover all aspects of wellness include Nutrition, Healthy habits, and Nutraceuticals. Small changes towards health make a big difference. You’ll be grateful you did and that attitude of gratitude is a huge hug for the heart which is love in one of its purest forms.
In Good Health,
Dr. Dawn Siglain ND, LAc
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