Hey guys! I was going through Search Engine Terms that brought people to my blog and couldn’t help but laugh at some of them:
- why did starbucks change the oatmeal cookie: I hope we’re not talking about the Starbucks in India
- birthday cake with name Khushboo: There’s been at least 25, but one of my most memorable cakes is this one made by my friend Mahima, a Cordon Bleu graduate:
- how to look toned before going out: Wear black
- aquarian_khushboo: I’m a Gemini
Others provide some good food for thought:
- a healthy lifestyle is a necessity and not luxury
I believe this search is more or less along the same lines as Eleanor Roosevelt’s:
Feeling healthy and feeling good about yourself is not a luxury – It’s an absolute necessity.
Miss Roosevelt sure was a smart lady! When it comes to leading a healthier lifestyle, it’s almost too easy to fall back on the I don’t have time or It’s too expensive excuse. Pardon my French but that’s absolute bullshit.
We’re living in a world where the price of being healthy & feeling good about yourself can be found at 2 extremes:
A) You can eat a purely organic diet, buy the “latest craze” foods, hire a personal trainer, sign up for yoga classes to relax your mind & body, and schedule in regular detoxes to cleanse your system from various toxins.
Or
B) You can base your diet on whole, unprocessed foods, buy certain organic products, lace up your trainers and hit the pavement for a walk or run, sleep a minimum of 7 hours daily, and stay hydrated with plain ol’ water.
Neither approach is better or more effective, but will both help you reap the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Each meal, workout and every single other healthy choice you make on a daily basis from the minute you wake up till you sleep impacts how your body performs each day, your mood & attitude, your risk of various diseases, your energy levels, your self-confidence, stress levels….gosh the list is endless.
Ultimately, everything boils down to how healthy our bodies are. You might be too busy at work to make healthy choices, but if you continuously compromise your health, it’s only a matter of time until you won’t physically be able to complete your work. If you don’t have the time, make the time. If you don’t have the funds, work it into your budget. Chances are you would do so if it meant planning a night out with friends.
No questions but I’d love to hear your thoughts….
Absolutely agree. Sometimes, I can not even believe what excuses people around me come up with. I think the key is, that you start somewhere with a first step. Too many people want to do everything right from the first day on, change their whole life in 24hours. We all know this is the first step into a relapse. I always say – make a little change every 2 weeks. Start with it, maintain it, and then take on the next change.
You are absolutely right Lucie…too much too soon is hardly sustainable!
A very good thought process there. With everything in life, comes an abundance of excuses attached with it. Its getting over the laziness and making something work- in this case exercise and dietary changes. Yes, a gym membership may not be in everyones budget, but a decent pair of shoes, some body weight exercises or running, and your already ahead of the game! Same with food choices, markets/larger grocery stores which supply goods in bulk are great ways get nutritious foods without much damage, and is incredibly beneficial thinking long term!
I think people forget than leading a healthy lifestyle truly is very easy- a few small changes are enough to make a difference!
Great Post!
Couldn’t agree more with you – healthy, somewhat pricey, choices now can almost help eliminate incredibly costly doctor/hospital bills down the road!
After all “health is our best wealth” 🙂
Cliche or not, you hit the nail on the head Shashi!
Great post K! Everything healthy is costlier, but its better than paying bills.
Btw–how do I search if I want to, how people land up at my blog?
Thanks.
On my site stats page, there is a section with Search Engine Terms 🙂
Absolutely agree with you here Khushboo. I hate it when people tell me they don’t have time or the money to eat healthy.
First of all, the time thing – I can guarantee you you can make a salad in the time it takes to make a box of KD. Guaranteed!
And you really don’t have to go nuts with specialty health food in order to eat well. A box of whole wheat pasta costs the same as a box of white. Buy a bunch of bananas instead of a box of twinkies – you that know that’s going to be cheaper in the long run. Andif you can’t afford to buy all organic, that’s fine – I know I can’t! It’s all about the little, manageable changes.
Absolutely Sam…fresh fruit is the same price (if not cheaper) than packaged, chemical-laden products! The same goes for a bottle of water versus a can of Coke.
AGREED. I remember gaining tons of weight when I just started work, silly things like ordering junk takeout all the time, and too much coffee. In fact, that was MORE expensive – ordering out all the time and sugary Starbucks drinks were way more expensive than plain old skinny lattes and buying groceries in bulk. A candy bar is more expensive than some bananas from Crawford market for sure..
And in terms of other changes like exercise and dieting, it’s not that hard to make the first change, I’ve noticed first hand..the first step may be hard, but it’s amazing how you can make it a habit!
Funny you say that as I said the exact same to my friend this morning. Especially with running, I find that the hardest step is the one out the door 🙂
You are so right, health is not an option. We only have body to get us through this life, and we need to treat it with a lot more care than most of us do! And this goes beyond just the physical in my opinion to the mental and spiritual. Personally, I know I need to work on getting more sleep every night. 🙂
Even just one night of bad sleep can throw me off completely!
Great post! I think it’s all about priority, and sadly, many people do not make their health and wellbeing a priority in their lives. Some may think it’s selfish to be so concerned about their own health and wellness, but in the long run, I believe you become a better person in general if you’re feeling good- you have more energy and stamina to take care of loved ones, to be productive at work, etc. etc.
Some of my friends look at me like I’m crazy because I choose to spend much of my disposable income on health-related things (a gym membership, shopping at Whole Foods, etc.) but that’s because I have made it a priority! In turn, I don’t spend much money on things like concert tickets, movies, new clothes every month. Everyone has to decide what’s most important to them. And I choose my health.
You are so right- if you can’t treat yourself right, how can you be expected to treat others well? I’m sure your friends won’t think you’re crazy 20 years down the line when your health is kicking ass 😉
Haha, I absolutely love search terms people use to get to my page! Sometimes, they are SO bizarre.
Totally agree with Ms. Roosevelt on that quote. It’s so true that it doesn’t have to take a lot of time or money – you just need to have the right mindset to really want to be healthy!
I think that’s what people really don’t want to admit, is that they don’t want to make the changes.
I do understand that in some cases like binge eating, it’s more than just a choice since it’s a disorder, but in that case they should get help like with any ED. That’s where my nutritionist really really helped me out when I had anorexia.
You are so right…for some people, making excuses is so much easier than making changes!!
amen, so well put. everyone’s body is different. I think it is all about finding what works for you and you alone
Yep! Health is so individual.
Wise words! Most people find it overwhelming to change old habits. The key is to keep making choices every step of the way. A lot of people also dont realize that every bit counts – you dont have to run for an hour to benefit from it, a 20 min run is doing your body good too. Sometimes walking is better than surfing the couch. Eat a whole fruit everyday – that’s fiber. Given how much is in the news about healthy living and the treasure trove of information this internet is, people really have no excuses not to try. I think a lot of people are trying – which is very encouraging.
I’ve definitely noticed a trend towards healthy living, both in companies and with individuals, which is only a step in the right direction 🙂
I agree with Roosevelt’s quote. Sometimes I get clients who are constantly complaining how this and that about priorities and health is not on it and it just baffles me..
You and me both, Dixya 😀
I have to say that birthday cake your friend made you looks absolutely five-star gorgeous! That must have been such a great surprise for you!!
I was shocked and thrilled 🙂
I love how you tell it like it is. you’re absolutely and I completely agree with all of this. it doesnt matter how much money you have or how busy you are, a healthy lifestyle is always possible and its up to the individual to make that happen. no excuses. also that cake is amazing! (and yay geminis!)
High 5 to a fellow Gemini 🙂
Ohh I love search engines hahaha. Also I love your answer to looking toned : wear black…amen. I loveee the end to this post! It’s sad to me how many people don’t care about their health and put EVERYTHING else before it, but like you said it’s only a matter of time until shit hits the fan!
Prevention > cure…always !!!
I LOVE that dollar menu quote!! So true. Why don’t people understand how much better they’d feel if they weren’t trying to fuel their body with crap?!
The sad part is that those people are completely fine with spending ridiculous amount on products that promise to “beat the bloat” rather than just clean up their diet!!
I definitely agree that keeping our bodies healthy effects a lot more than most people think. For me, I try to stay healthy because I have more energy, my mind is clearer, and I just feel better about everything I do. It definitely does take time to exercise, prepare healthy meals, get enough sleep, etc. but the end result is so worth it. I also think it’s fun to be healthy! It encourages me to try new things which I absolutely love. 🙂
Absolutely…being healthy lights up a completely new zest for life 🙂
agree with the last paragraph completely. so important to work it into your budget, eating healthy is more expensive which I will never understand.
I guess the more valuable it eating healthy is, the more expensive it gets 🙂
Eating healthy is expensive but the older I get the more I realize it’s worth every penny!
Zoom…I’m so glad you liked it! I can’t wait to return.
Thanks again for the suggestion- it was a hit with the family 🙂
I like option B, although I do pay for a gym membership. It’s pretty cheap though, and it allows me to do fitness classes like Spinning, Mixed Martial Arts, Bootcamp, etc. I think you should call Bullshit more often. 😉
Haha it sure is fun calling BS 😉