Individual Health – Woodbury-wellness

If you look, or even if you don’t, you will see literally endless messages in our society about what creates health. Everywhere from what you should eat, to how to exercise, to what lifestyle to live, to what technology will help, to what supplement, what pill, what trend is going to make you feel amazing. It is on social media, ads, the news, every corner- and even your close friends and family. Sometimes, it is the people with whom we are the closest that can influence us the most. For example, your cousin went Keto and now feels and looks incredible. I will admit I have definitely fallen into this pattern in the past. I see these messages all day, every day too, and want to talk about it here.

While we are bombarded with health campaigns from the media and people we know, it is so easy to feel that we too should do X, Y or Z to feel better. It is very easy to forget how exactly individual we all are. Our minds and bodies need very different inputs to make us thrive. If you start to even think about everything in your life that has influenced your mental and physical health up to this point, you undoubtedly will agree that all of those influences are different than any other person in your life. My favorite saying is, “Given half a chance, the body can heal.” It is critical to understand that no matter what you have been through, no matter what your choices, no matter your family’s history, you CAN get better. Knowing that you can make a change + respecting your past and present + understanding your individual needs = what will constitute your health moving forward.

Some of your bioindividuality started well before you even had a say in it- coming from your mother’s choices while she was pregnant as well as your ancestor’s health. Think about all the different environments you have been a part of- from early childhood to your lifestyle now. Think of all the different emotions and mental situations you have gone through up until this point. Even just your DNA is different than any single person in this world. (My best friend is an identical twin and even their health needs are completely opposite.) It is important to remember how uniquely individual you are as your decide what health options are right for you.

Again, I will use my own health experience as an example. Up until about a year ago, I fell guilty 100% to what was being advertised. I tried every way of eating, positive that I was going to reach health by following it perfectly. Everything- Paleo, Keto, Vegan, Ayurvedic, Vegetarian, Auto Immune Protocol Eating, etc. I was a star attendee of gym classes. What ultimately stopped this was I whole-heartedly followed a famous author in believing that plant-based Veganism was best. This was horrible for my body in the long-run and in fact, contrary to what she insisted, not enough protein for my athletic body. I then studied Ayurveda, an ancient practice, which teaches about different body types and needs. It opened up my mind to understanding we are all so beautifully different. From there I have been on a journey that I tune into daily, to understand, RESPECT and give my body what it needs.

I will write more posts on different ways of tuning into what our bodies needs, how to discover what makes us individually thrive and ultimately being pros at giving our bodies what they need. For this post, I wanted to start getting your mind open to the idea of individual needs. I wanted to help people pause before believing a specific campaign or jumping to spend $200 on a trending gym. Undoubtedly, we all share some similar needs such as whole foods, movement, love, joy, a good home environment etc. Within each of those, we all vary so much on what specifically our mind and bodies need, and how to implement it. I wish you as the reader to start thinking about this concept and to start noticing small ways your body is telling you what it needs.

Playa Mendoza, Colombia: