National Nutrition Month: Bite Into a Healthy Lifestyle
March is National Nutrition Month and I love the theme that the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics chose “Bite Into a Healthy Lifestyle.” There’s just something about that verb “bite” that feels very active, intentional, and strong. It somehow says to me “go for it and don’t hold back!” So that’s what I’d like to invite each of you to do, no holding back when it comes to YOUR health.
To help you do so, I’m going to share with you a journaling exercise that I hope will inspire you to take good care of yourself.
A 5 Minute Journaling Exercise
1. Ask yourself- In what ways would I like to feel healthier? Write as many answers in response to that question for one minute. Try very hard not to think about weight or appearance. Rather, think about actionable behaviors like more quality sleep, less time on social media that makes you feel bad about yourself, more time spent meditating, or regularly eating more vegetables.
2. Go through the list and identify the answers you wrote down that feel like “a should” coming from someone else’s agenda. If your husband has been nagging you about getting more exercise or you feel stressed about a nutrition headline you just read, consider setting those to the side. Hone in on and circle the things that feel deeply important to you.
3. Now choose the top one or two you’d like to focus on and craft a very specific and measurable goal around it.
4. Share this with a friend you trust and encourage them to do the same journaling exercise. Consider keeping one another accountable to prioritizing health!
Remember, health is a very broad word with many meanings. And only you truly know what you need to feel healthier inside and out. Health also requires sacrifice. Trust me, it’s no fun to go to bed when you’d rather stay up watching Scandal (no I’m speaking from personal experience, this is totally hypothetical!). But your health is the most vital investment you can make and you are worth it.
So happy National Nutrition Month. Take a bite out of health. I don’t think you’ll regret it!