Guest post #2 of the week is from Mary @ Bites and Bliss.
Reasons I love reading her blog:
- Mary eats some of the most fantastic-looking breakfasts around.
- She’s training for her first marathon! I love reading about the training process (maybe one day I’ll get the nerve too…).
- Her photography is incredible – I especially love the pics of her gorgeous horses.
Lucky me won a package of Newman’s Own cookies from her, but I promise that doesn’t give me a biased opinion. 🙂
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Hey everyone!
I’m Mary from Bites and Bliss here to chat with you all while Laura’s away.
I’m a yoga instructor, equestrian, recent marathon-trainee, foodie (of course), and college student majoring in nutrition science. But unlike many college students, I’m not into partying all night and stuffing my face with cheap food. Nope, I’m the one of the few that would choose a big helping of sautéed veggies over wings and beer any day. But let me say, it’s not always easy eating healthy while living in a college town where most restaurants are pizza joints and none of them really cater to health, not to mention any special diets like vegetarianism.
Enough about me! Let’s talk about something we all have in common- healthy living. When first starting Bites and Bliss, my friends and family weren’t quite sure what it was all about. Surprisingly, they understood my posting pictures of food and writing about it more than what the blog’s real focus is and suddenly, there was a confusion of what exactly “healthy living” is.
So, what does it mean to be healthy liver?
And by that I mean, living healthy…not a healthy organ. But those are good, too. 😉
Anyway, I digress. Back to the question at hand.
Does healthy living mean eating nothing but salads all day?
Not a chance.
Is it spending hours in the gym to burn off every calorie we’ve eaten that day?
Of course not. (Although I used to think so. But that’s another story.)
Healthy living is just what it says: living. Happily and healthfully.
It’s having that dang slice of pizza.
And cherishing every sweet bite of chocolate…
Or a cannoli or three.
Healthy living is knowing it’s okay to indulge every now and then without beating ourselves up over it. A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand, right?
I kid. But, balance is important.
That may be the most important part of what healthy living is, after all. It’s a balance.
A balance between the good and the bad. Or rather, between being too healthy and not healthy enough.
Wait, “too healthy”? Is there such a thing?
If you’ve ever reached that point, you know exactly what I’m talking about. When living healthy becomes an obsession, ironically, it becomes unhealthy itself. This is the point where our meals are just numbers and our diets so restricted not even a nibble of chocolate can pass our lips without immediate regret. And exercise is used obsessively for burning calories to lower another favorite obsession: the number on the scale.
But, there is a sweet spot between the two. It’s a spot in which both food and fitness work together to fuel our body and keep it strong; when our mind is just as strong as our body and we’re healthy, and just as importantly, happy with where we are.
Think that balance is hard to reach? Not at all. It’s as easy as having our cake and eating it, too!
Would you believe each of those is super healthy, vegan, and gluten-free? Oh, not to forget absolutely delicious. Proof eating healthy does not mean eating cardboard.
The next step is just as simple: strengthening our body and mind.
Through yoga, weight lifting, dancing…whatever floats your boat.
Of course, healthy living doesn’t just happen within the kitchen and gym; it touches every aspect of our life. Food and exercise can only take us so far, after all. Every thing else we do matters just as much- our choices, our actions…things we do for ourselves, without holding back, to take us as far as we can go.
Like, taking the road less traveled.
Too cliché? I thought so.
How about, challenging ourselves to try new things.
And to change so we can grow.
It’s having fun, finding the small blessing every day, taking time for ourselves, loving ourselves, loving others…
Obviously there isn’t one single definition of “healthy living”. It’s so multidimensional and every single person has their own idea. But in my eyes, healthy living’s doing what we need to do, when we need to do it, for the sake of ourselves and those we love.
Even if that means feeding them an entire pizza from time to time and posting embarrassing photos of them on the web. 😉 (Don’t worry. The pizza’s thin crust, light cheese, and loaded with veggies.)
So go! Be healthy the best way you know how.
xoxo,
-Mary
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“Step with great care and great tact / and rememeber that Life’s a Great Balancing Act…” – Dr. Seuss
What does being healthy mean to you?
Mark says
Mary, your definition of healthy living is one of the best I’ve heard, especially how you focused on balance. GREAT post!
Laura, great pick. 😉
Tiff @ Love Sweat and Beers says
You hit hte nail on the head with that one. To me, healthy is not just about the body, but also the mind. And you know what, my mind tells me that I really really really like pizza n’ beer from time to time. 🙂
I love your pics by the way, especially the skeleton one. Too funny!
Parita @ myinnershakti says
Great post, Mary! I agree 100% with everything you said. Being healthy to me means being happy and making the right decisions for YOUR mind, body, and soul. I always try to keep in mind that my idea of balance will never equal everyone else’s, but that’s ok. 🙂
Claire @ Live and Love to Eat says
Great message! 🙂
Balancing Sylvia says
WOW! This was a fantastic post! I love how you explained the difference between being healthy and too healthy. I know far too many people who are obsessed with being “too healthy” or don’t even try living healthfully because they think it’s what you defined up top. The balance is exactly what I try to live by. Thanks for such a great post Mary and Laura!
Parsley Sage says
What an adorable post 🙂 I especially like the pizza shot. That’s classic. It’s a great post too and I’m gonna send it to a friend of mine who constantly has me worried about her healthy. I’m with you. Indulge but be cool about it. Exercise for the health of it, not because you wanna look hot in a bikini (of course, that’s an added bonus) but some people can get really out of control and this might be a nice way to ‘wake’ them up. Great guest post!
Hayley @ Oat Couture says
Haha that skeleton photo!! 🙂 I think your definition of healthy living is great! And although It’s different for everyone one factor is always the same, happiness. Without that then things are probably not ‘healthy’ 🙂
Laura says
That was my fav photo too!!
Errign says
Being healthy means having fun, exercising, splurging, laughing and enjoying life.
Laura says
Totally agree! A life without splurges isn’t fun at all. 🙂
Lisa @ Healthful Sense says
Healthy living is ALL about balance!! Totally agree with everything you said and that healthy eating can be absolutely delicious!!
Mary @ Bites and Bliss says
Thank you so much, Laura!! I’m truly honored to have been able to write a guest post for you. Hope you’re having an amazing trip! (Even if it is for work. ;))
Laura says
Thank YOU! The trip(s)… well, I survived. 🙂
Greg says
Great post. People always ask if we eat like this all the time, when we have them over for dinner. NO! No one sees the boring and not so boring weekday meals or the healthy things we cook during the week!
Alexa @ Simple Eats says
Love your outlook. It’s so inspiring! And your photography is gorgeous!
Tessa @ Amazing Asset says
Love this definition of healthy! To me it means balance and moderation.. simple as that. And it’s something I really need to continue working on