Self Love – Series Within a Series, Part 1 of 3
Let me start off by saying that this post is in no way, shape, or form, my declaration to the world that I’ve got my self-care figured out. It’s the Anonymous Hustle, folks! And in true hustle form, I bust my ass daily trying to prioritize my physical and mental health. It sounds dramatic and super #FirstWorldProblems but it’s so very easy to take advantage of what we have, including our bodies. Food, my all time favouritest most awesomest thing in life aside from maybe the people and fur tots (I KID, I LOVE YOU), plays a huge part in self-care. Considering how much I love food, it seems silly now to think that I never even gave that a thought until recently. I always thought food meant shoving something delicious in my body three times a day. I thank the genetic lottery that I was blessed with a fast metabolism and a body type that let me get away with not going to the gym for most of my twenties because if I didn’t win, oooohhhhhhh boy. So, because I’m still pretty shit at treating my body like a temple, I partnered up with Tracy Houle, a nutritionist from Oakville. Boy, did I get a ruuudddeee awakening (not from Tracy because she’s lovely but from the self-critical asshole that lives in my head 24/7, just to be clear).
That was told to me in my first chat with Tracy. When I heard it, my brain nearly exploded. It makes so much sense but how is it not common sense?! Mind you, I’m eating in front of my computer right now as I type this because I’m on deadline but I already warned you at the beginning: STILL NOT GOOD AT THIS. A big part of that is psychological, which was made aware to me in that same conversation. Tracy talked briefly about the key to changing your eating habits and that it isn’t necessarily only a matter of self-discipline. Why did I find cooking such a chore? Growing up, I always had meals prepared for me in the fridge or frozen dinners in the freezer. Why can I never find time to eat, let alone eat healthier? I prioritize convenience and everything else in life over having a healthier diet. Why is it so overwhelming to eat healthy? I’m overthinking it and having unrealistic expectations about the change I’m trying to make. Seems obvious now when I put it in words but unpacking the reasons for the lack of change was never something I thought about when trying to make a change in my habits.
After this chat with Tracy, I threw myself into the 5-Day meal plan that she offers. I’m a total beginner at living a healthy lifestyle but I had already started making a change in my eating habits so I said to myself, I’M READY. Hot damn, was I ever wrong. What a shock to my already-lack-of routine! Like dropping a huge ass boulder in a shallow puddle. I was stressed, proud, overwhelmed, and enlightened all at once. What I learned wasn’t what I expected but rarely things ever are as you expect, right? One, eating completely healthy was hard work for me. Not because I’m a wuss but because I’m still working hard to prioritize a healthy diet as part of my self-care regimen. Two, I get stuck in the same healthy recipes and trying to like something instead of continuing to find something that I actually enjoy. Three, I’m still just starting out so I have to be kinder to myself for not being exactly where I want to be yet. So much of us get caught up in maintaining a life that we forget food is what fuels our bodies. If we take care of our bodies, we’re limitless to what we can do. As someone in the creative field, I constantly see other creatives put their health on hold because only their passion for their craft matters. It’s as if our dreams will never come true if we take a spare moment to take care of ourselves. But Billy Joel’s words have never rung truer - when will you realize, Vienna waits for you.
I highly recommend checking out what Tracy does HERE at her website. She offers a very affordable 5-Day meal plan service but if you’re not quite ready to take the plunge, she also offers phone consultations if you need some advice on some more in-depth questions you may have. I don't pander or lie so believe me when I say, doing Tracy's meal plan, even just chatting with her about healthy eating, it shook so many untouched issues loose. It was the kick in the ass I needed to realize that my commitment to a healthy diet didn't have a leg to stand on. I needed to devote more of my attention to it. If this blog post of mine has you shook or you’ve been wanting/trying so hard to eat healthier but you're not quite ready to have your world rocked (for the better obviously...uh...duh), here are some quick tips from Tracy to get you started:
Try to avoid food products that are created in factories
rather than found in nature. Anything with a label should be scrutinized
and anything you can’t pronounce should be absolutely avoided.
Go slow and be easy on yourself! It’s funny how complicated
it all seems right now to eat healthy but when you break it down,
it’s really simple. Don’t overthink it.
Sometimes the luxuriousness that social media portrays healthy eating
to be makes it all seem too overwhelming.
Start small and then keep working up from there.
Eat whole foods and take the time to enjoy your meal
rather than multitask for maximum absorption of nutrients.
Sounds simple, right? If you try it, and it’s not, start smaller! I’ll be right alongside you hustling just as hard (insert cute wink here). Solidarity, my friends! Leave comments on my social media, send me an email, slide into my DMs. I want to hear how you do and support each other in a healthier artist lifestyle. I want to hear about your hustle too! It only seems fair since you listen to mine, right? Here’s to a better, happier, healthier life.
Until next time,
Stay bold and beautifully weird.
