One Snarky Chica with Issues

Each Tuesday deals with health/fitness related issues

What is being healthy?

What does it mean to be healthy? Healthy seems to be a buzz word right now that has a lot of different meanings. We have health food stores, we have items in our regular grocery stores marked ‘healthy choices’ and we are bombarded with articles in magazines about eating healthy and being healthy, but what is healthy?

I think that healthy means different things for different people. For instance, when I say I am going to eat at Subway because I want something healthy I purchase a 6 inch Veggie Delight on wheat with no cheese. When my brother told me was going to start eating healthy and dining at Subway as opposed to Wendy’s he got a 6 inch sub on Italian Herb and Cheese bread. What kind of sub did he get? It had chicken, bacon, swiss and honey mustard on it and that is all. Absolutely no veggies on it at all. Clearly, we have different views of what constitutes healthy eating. Was his sandwich better for him than chicken nuggets and French fries at Wendy’s? Of course, but it was by no means healthy.

In general, I would say that healthy means doing something that is good for your body and overall well-being. A lot of times, it even means replacing something that is bad for your body and overall well-being. Here are some of the things that I do to be healthy:

I don’t drink alcohol.

I have cut back the amount of cheese I eat on sandwiches and salads, and sometimes forgo it.

I try to make a conscious effort to eat a snack of fresh fruit at least once a day.

I also try to incorporate at least one vegetable in my dinner.

I don’t eat a lot of red meat.

I avoid fast food establishments like the plague. However, there are times when you cannot avoid them.

I try to eat fish once a week to get that dose of omega-3’s.

I bring my lunch to work every day. This allows me to eat as healthy as I can.

I have cut out all soda from my diet. Water, coffee, milk and tea are all that I drink.

I don’t smoke or do any sort of recreational drugs.

I try to go to the gym regularly. When I can’t make it, I try to sneak in exercise when I can, like dancing around the kitchen when I’m cooking.

I try to get 7 – 8 hours of sleep a night so that I am not walking around exhausted. And I try to never sleep too much, cause you end up feeling just as bad as when you don’t get enough sleep!

I try to remember to take the time to floss. This is one that I still struggle with, but I’ve found that floss picks are easier to remember for me to do.

I always wear my seatbelt and do not drive recklessly.

I take a multivitamin daily. Although sometimes I forget on the weekends as I keep them in my lunchbag.

Knowing that I have allergies, I try to clean my home regularly to prevent dust buildup.

I go to the doctor once a year. I hate it, but I still do it. I’m worse about the dentist and eye doctor though.

I try to keep track of my stress levels so that I can take some time out to relax when I need to.

I always eat a hearty breakfast. Usually I go for oatmeal, due to its health benefits.

I don’t overindulge in sweets. (with the exception of that monthly chocolate craving – I can’t help it!)
What do you do to be healthy? If you have anything you do that I haven’t listed I’d love to hear about it!