PICTURE-PERFECT HEALTH?
So, I have a confession.
Oftentimes as I scroll through nutrition based accounts on my Instagram newsfeed, I can’t help but get a little agitated…
How many more pictures of yogurt bowls with organic fruit, pricey nut butter assortments, and paleo granola, can I possibly look at? And why does everyone seem so happy chopping vegetables? The amount of social media content for nutrition is overwhelming, to say the least. Almost every day I stumble upon a new page with similar attributes and a large following. Sometimes I find inspiration in the context I see. For instance, I do enjoy reading thoughtful captions by those who have clear ideas and motivating affirmations.
For the most part, I find the majority of “healthy” Instagram accounts to be un-relatable to my everyday existence.
Honestly, I commend them. Success in this field is a testament to resilient entrepreneurship. I also understand why these pages are so popular. These accounts showcase elevated levels of wellbeing. Followers aspire to cook, live, play, sweat, and eat just as their idols do. Will the majority of us ever get to the peak health foodie status these insta famous live out on a daily basis? Probably not. Unless you have hours to construct new meals in the kitchen every night or loads of sponsors giving you free products to test out. These pages function as businesses and I respect them as such.
However, as I gaze at perfectly tinted photographs or watch stories highlighting the newest vegan skin care routines, I can’t help but think about what “deep health” actually means to me. Deep health doesn’t even brush the base of some of these glazed over fantasies about wellness. I’ve come to a few conclusions.
Deep health is messy:
Messy health doesn’t follow a rigid system, it just has to do the trick.
Chicken and broccoli for breakfast? Why not?! Two meals a day as opposed to four smaller meals on other days to fit a shifting schedule? Sure! Messy health to me is getting home at 12 am from working a restaurant shift and managing the desire to eagerly stuff my face after not eating for 8 hours, by front-loading with veggies and drinking water first. Not eating for 8 hours is not ideal, but I’ve made it work to the best of my abilities.
Deep health isn’t glamorous:
I often find myself compiling low-budget, nutritious, and delicious meals with absolutely zero aesthetic.
My dinner might only take 15 minutes to make and might look a little funky, but it almost always ends up being nourishing and tasty.
There is also very little glamour in rectifying your positive relationship with health.
It can be difficult to figure out how to nourish your body physically and eat well without succumbing to the pressure and immediacy of diet culture: to cultivate self love without the only goal being to lose or gain weight. This requires a lot of deep reflection and it is rarely an easy journey.
Deep health is sloppy,
is always influx,
and is hard to manage:
We are always juggling schedules and time-consuming commitments on top of our changing realities.
Our scope of health constantly has to adjust…focus on what is best for you in the present moment, not a moment from the past. Health will always mean something different to us, especially as we age and grow. This leads me to the most important component of “deep health”…
Deep health means something
different for everyone.
It is admirable to look towards these internet lifestyles for inspiration…but we can’t play the comparison game. You don’t need to take on structures that other people have laid out, in order to define or validate your level of health. This is along the same lines of the idea that you don’t need to become a world class athlete or an iron chef to successfully nourish your body. Sustainability and simplicity are not always picturesque, but together these two components create the strongest and most lasting platform for a good nutrition practice.
Here are some takeaways:
Deep health is not pretty and that is okay.
Focus on shaping health for YOU
Don’t feel that you are not healthy enough or that you are not doing a good job because your life doesn’t resemble your favorite guru....
meet yourself in the present. Work in the boundaries of what you have, know, and like.
Healthy eating doesn’t need to be a grand gesture. Simplicity + sustainability!!