What does healthy really mean? (Part 1)

I think most people realise these days that there is far more to being healthy than just eating the right foods and avoiding the bad ones, (most of the time anyway, let’s be real here…!). And everyone knows to take time to exercise....but is that it?

Absolutely not! What about the reasons we eat badly or don’t exercise in the first place? An unhappy relationship is unlikely to inspire us to cook when we get home, and a long day at a job we don’t enjoy can soon curb any desire to workout that evening. Have a think about the following list of aspects of our lives that all go hand in hand to make, (or break) your health. There's more to being healthy than 'not being sick', or even just being fit. We can only have true health when all these pieces fit together.

Over the next week I’ll very briefly talk about the these areas of our lives that I believe make us ‘wholly’ healthy; 

• Spirituality
• Relationships
• Healthy eating
• Exercise
• Career 

They all work symbiotically but do you look after yours and how would YOU prioritise the list?

What would you do to take your health to the next level? Read, inwardly digest and hopefully enjoy the next few days...:-) 

Spirituality

I'll start with this one as it's often the most misunderstood term!

Many people straight-away think religion when they hear the word spirituality - I however, beg to differ! Some people find all the spirituality they need from their religion and that's all good. But shouldn't non religious people be able to reach the same spiritual plain too? 

So what else constitutes spirituality?

Yoga is a common and very popular answer; it's also a perfect way to fend off the stiffness that comes with getting older - trust me, I know... But here's some more; hiking in nature with your dog, paddling out on an empty lake, riding your motorbike or even skydiving... Whatever your passion is, whatever make you appreciate just how awesome and special life really is, wherever you are, (usually but not exclusively alone) when you appreciate that life involves something bigger than just you or me - that to me at least, is spirituality and is as big and as important a part of true health as anything else! What calms you and makes you realise we're here for far more than just getting through to the end unscathed...?