LIVE HEALTHY... for you!!

Hi there friendly friends and happy Sunday!

Rest, recovery and relaxation!

Well, maybe not for me this Sunday.. because as I have finished school (and WACE and anything else I have to do!!!) everyday could be Sunday for all I know- so this Sunday was still a pretty active day for me as my weeks have no real starting or end point now- rest days are so randomly selected and yet I absolutely love it- look at me, living on the edge!! :P ;)

Any who, I started this particular Sunday with a challenging 94 min Fitness Blender 1000 calorie workout as I had an awesome rest day yesterday where I was still plenty active but my mind and body wasn't in workout mode- just fun in the Summer sun mode! (think beach, walking around, doing hand stand etc.) and so had the rejuvenated energy and motivation to smash this one out!!

And let me tell you- the sweat was real my friends!!!

Breakfast eaten (see my Instagram for the low-down on my utterly delicious creamy apple-pie oats), shower taken (essential), lots of water consumed (again, essential) and now here I am with you guys, about to talk about a topic that took me way too long to realise and way too much unhappy eating to experience!!

It's healthy lving- eating in particular.

First off, I'll start off with a sentence that just might blow your mind (because it seemed to blow mine, even though it's just so, so obvious). Healthy living, in particular eating doesn't have to be bad. It doesn't have to be boring, or a chore, or a one-siz-fits-all, this-is-how-you-get-healthy type deal. Healthy living and eating is extremely flexible and can be shaped and molded into any form you wish it to take.

For too long I was chowing down on plain quinoa and vegetables I just couldn't seem to enjoy the taste of with the thoughts of health and healthy living circling throuhg my brain telling me it had to be done to live a healthy and prosperous life (see my post on orthorexia about that one).

Same goes for exercise. Each day I would wake up and tell myself I had to sweat it out hard doing either a big sesh of cardio or lifting heavy weights in order to be the healthiest, strongest and fittest version of myself possible.

But that is entirely not the case.

It wasn't until I started listening to me, to my body and what it truly wanted that I started to see the positive changes. It wasn't until I granted myself unplanned rest days and movement I craved rather than felt I 'should' do (ie. choosing a nice slow run over a crazy legday, or an armday over an ab day because my abs were sore- just giving myself that permission to change things up). It wasn't until I ate what I wanted that I knew would still make my body feel energetic, light and full of energy, ditching the plain quinoa and the tasteless veg for my favourite meals, packed full of all the good stuff and more importantly all the tasty stuff!!

 Hello there big veggie sandwich, slathered with hommus, topped with spinach, avo, grated carrot, tomato and cucumber on a delicious warmed up purple wheat panini!!

 Eating the foods I truly craved and made both my mind and body happy, left me feeling so much more satisfied (essential for someone who experiences extreme hanger from time to time... ok, daily.)

 I enjoyed my meals again and looked forward to them and guess what? They're all still filled with all the nutrients and good stuff my body needs, so why did I feel the need to eat something I simply did not enjoy??

Eating for health and for you is the true way to a healthy life in my opinion.

 I love, love, love big smoothies filled with so much fruit and veg and this is one of my ways of getting in atleast two servings of veg before the day has even really begun.

This bad boy featured 1 large frozen banana, 1 large handful frozen zucchini, 4 cubes frozen spinach, small handful frozen mango, 3 big spoons greek yoghurt, 3/4 cup rolled oats soaked in 1 cup almond milk for 15 mins, splash of water to get things rolling!

 This is something I love and so now-a-days do it often because it is what my body truly wants.

 This was such a great smoothie- made with 1 frozen banana, handful frozen zucchini, some frozen mango, pineapple and mixed berries, 2 big handfuls mixed salad greens, soaked oats (like above), 3 spoons greek yoghurt and water- so, so tasty!

 The amount of times I've read having a savoury breakfast is so much more beneficial for health and will diminish sugary cravings throughout the day and quell appetite and yet, my body LOVES sweet, decadent, sometimes creamy, sometimes chocolatey sometimes ooey gooey and delicious breakfasts. Very, very rarely savoury.

 So why should I make myself chow down on eggs on toast when what I really want is a big mug full of sweet, delicious oats with warm, melty nut butter??

 This was my favourite oat combo of the minute- my vegan vanilla protein zoats (zucchini oats) with nutbutter throughout and leftover banana slices on top.

 Into the saucepan goes 3/4 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup grated zucchini, 1 scoop vegan vanilla protein powder, 1 sliced banana, 3/4 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup water- bubbling away over medium heat until thickened and absorbed, crunchy PB on bottom, middle and top for rich, melty nut butter in every spoonful!

 My mind, body and soul is so much more satisfied when I eat something I truly crave and with hidden veggies, wholegrain goodness, vitamins and minerals from the fruits and veggies, protein and dessert-like decadence, this truly is a perfect breakfast. For me!

 You might actually be the kind of person who craves a savoury meal upon waking, or some other form of brekky. You might be the person who prefers to workout after they've eaten their first meal of the day, or even their second or third (hello, night gym-junkies!!). You might be the person who cannot stand the thought of eating a big salad for lunch, or chowing down on steamed vegetables for dinner, and that is OK!

 Don't eat a sweet bowl of vanilla oats for brekky if you don't want to. Don't feel the need to eat poached eggs and avocado if you feel like a big fruity smoothie. Don't workout first thing in the morning if it makes you feel faint/ makes you dread your workout. Or do workout in the morning if it is when you are most energised and motivated.

 Whatever it is you choose to do, do it for your health. But understand that health is a very subjective word and one that is actually completely different to every single person on this planet.

 The magazines don't know what you eat, or how much exercise you do, or your height/ weight/ gender/ lifestyle etc. So how can they make any judgement of the exact way in which you should live for optimal health.

 The girl next to you on the treadmill has a completely different life to you, with different interactions, work, hobbies, tastes and preferences, body type, hunger, metabolism, etc. So how is her lifestyle going to work perfectly for you?

 The answer to those questions is they can't and it won't.

Living for optimal health is doing the things you love to do in a way that your body loves.

For me that means fasted workouts early in the morning. It meas big, sweet, dessert-tasting breakfasts. It means 3 bigger meals throughout the day and a snack in the arvo to hold me through til dinner. It means always having a little something to round out the day, even if I'm full from dinner because it makes me happy (Lindt 90% dark choc- you are life!!). It means understanding that I feel sluggish and tired in the afternoon so that's when I start to slow down and rest up. It means coming to terms with the fact that I dislike a lot of eggplant or cauliflower and that is O.K.

You do you and trust me, you will feel so much happier and healthier for it.

It wasn't until I started doing the things I actually wanted to do that my body truly responded in the most efficient and healthy way- my muscles that I've been working on for so long are finally starting to show up (with shorter, more intense/ different workouts) and eating the foods I want has left me with so much energy and happiness- this is health people and everyone's definition of health is different!!

Your turn:
Do you ever get sucked into thinking there's only one way to optimal health?
Worst thing you've done to get 'healthy'
Most hated 'health' food?

I hope this post was eye-opening for some of you, or just reinforcing what you already know so you stick to making the best decisions for your health every single day. Being kind to our bodies is so, so important and life should be enjoyed, not dreaded- life is such a beautiful, beautiful thing and you are such a beautiful, beautiful being!

So, listen to your body, you do you and as always; EAT SOMETHING DELICIOUS!!! Bye for now friendly friends!! :D