I am a total yoga fiend at the moment, banging it out 7 days a week and getting up at 5.40am to hit the mat with hubby every week day. I have vastly improved my overall health and well-being by doing yoga regularly over the last twelve months, and even though I don't appear to be getting any thinner, my overall levels of energy and vitality have most certainly improved greatly. I know that the scales say that I am heavier, but I honestly seem to have gained more muscle than flab, so being a little heavier isn't really that bad.
All of my clothes still fit me too, so I am actually okay with gaining a few kilos, I've made my peace with the war that I was having against my weight. Being thin isn't the be all end all, being happy and healthy is a far better thing to aim for. I don't need to be thin, thin is not necessarily the secret to a long and healthy life, but feeling great all of the time is something that I am most definitely interested in and surely that would add up to a longer and happier life?
We all tend to view health in pretty limited ways, which is really quite shameful of us. When we think of health we generally think of other words too, like thin, toned, trim and tight. Visions of speed and endurance come to mind, people clinging to the side of a mountain or biking across the plains, a long distance runner or people at the gym pumping iron. And yeah, sure these are examples of healthy living for some people, but it is most certainly not healthy for all of us. However, we are all conditioned to see fitness in that way and by those very limited terms, because that is what the media tells us that being healthy is. And we buy into it. I buy into it, 100% I do, but not anymore, I have had a big change of heart over the last 12 months, and I know for sure that health and longevity come in many many forms.
Being healthy should not just be limited to the way that a person looks. For true vitality you also need a healthy and balanced diet; and I know heaps of people are going to hate me for saying this, but that diet should not be made up of protein powders and shakes - gross, that is not food, that is not natural and that is not nutritionally sound. Your food should mostly be in it's most natural state and in a perfect world, it should be paddock to plate whenever possible. It should have variety, colour and above all flavour, and what you put into your body should be a delight to eat. You should feel good eating it, and also feel great after you have eaten it too, and you should only eat until you feel full, not stuffed.
Having a healthy lifestyle should also incorporate other things that we rarely ever think about when we hear the word healthy. Things like fresh air and 'low impact' outdoor activity (by low impact I mean stuff that won't jar your joints), drinking water, taking care of your body through good hygiene and grooming habits, having meaningful relationships and quality time with others and by yourself. You should also regularly engage in activities that stimulate your brain and offer you a chance to grow as a person, both intellectually and emotionally. You should try to get a good night's sleep every day and also learn to turn off your phone and devices. All of those things will contribute to your overall well-being and they have zero to do with how much you weigh on set of scales.
You should walk, stretch, laugh, smile, hug, breathe deeply, be thankful and love yourself for just being you and be kind - every, single, day, without fail. So forget about what you think healthy looks like, because healthy really looks like a million different people's body shapes and comes in many different forms. So don't let the media restrict your perceptions; you don't have to look 'perfect' to have a good, healthy, vital and long life. You just have to embrace who you are and take good care of what you have and there is nothing skinny about that kind of thinking!
All of my clothes still fit me too, so I am actually okay with gaining a few kilos, I've made my peace with the war that I was having against my weight. Being thin isn't the be all end all, being happy and healthy is a far better thing to aim for. I don't need to be thin, thin is not necessarily the secret to a long and healthy life, but feeling great all of the time is something that I am most definitely interested in and surely that would add up to a longer and happier life?
We all tend to view health in pretty limited ways, which is really quite shameful of us. When we think of health we generally think of other words too, like thin, toned, trim and tight. Visions of speed and endurance come to mind, people clinging to the side of a mountain or biking across the plains, a long distance runner or people at the gym pumping iron. And yeah, sure these are examples of healthy living for some people, but it is most certainly not healthy for all of us. However, we are all conditioned to see fitness in that way and by those very limited terms, because that is what the media tells us that being healthy is. And we buy into it. I buy into it, 100% I do, but not anymore, I have had a big change of heart over the last 12 months, and I know for sure that health and longevity come in many many forms.
Being healthy should not just be limited to the way that a person looks. For true vitality you also need a healthy and balanced diet; and I know heaps of people are going to hate me for saying this, but that diet should not be made up of protein powders and shakes - gross, that is not food, that is not natural and that is not nutritionally sound. Your food should mostly be in it's most natural state and in a perfect world, it should be paddock to plate whenever possible. It should have variety, colour and above all flavour, and what you put into your body should be a delight to eat. You should feel good eating it, and also feel great after you have eaten it too, and you should only eat until you feel full, not stuffed.
Having a healthy lifestyle should also incorporate other things that we rarely ever think about when we hear the word healthy. Things like fresh air and 'low impact' outdoor activity (by low impact I mean stuff that won't jar your joints), drinking water, taking care of your body through good hygiene and grooming habits, having meaningful relationships and quality time with others and by yourself. You should also regularly engage in activities that stimulate your brain and offer you a chance to grow as a person, both intellectually and emotionally. You should try to get a good night's sleep every day and also learn to turn off your phone and devices. All of those things will contribute to your overall well-being and they have zero to do with how much you weigh on set of scales.
You should walk, stretch, laugh, smile, hug, breathe deeply, be thankful and love yourself for just being you and be kind - every, single, day, without fail. So forget about what you think healthy looks like, because healthy really looks like a million different people's body shapes and comes in many different forms. So don't let the media restrict your perceptions; you don't have to look 'perfect' to have a good, healthy, vital and long life. You just have to embrace who you are and take good care of what you have and there is nothing skinny about that kind of thinking!
HUNGER
Release Date: 2008
Rating: R 18+
Running Time: 96 mins
Directed by Steve McQueen, this historical film documents the events surrounding the 1981 Irish hunger strike that occurred when Republican prisoners tried to regain their political status after it was revoked by the British Government in 1976. Hunger premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008 where it received the prestigious Camera d'Or award.
Through a disturbing recount of Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender) time at the Maze Prison, we get a first hand look at the appalling conditions that these men endured to stand up for what they believed in. Following the 'blanket' and 'no wash' protest, the prisoners step up their demands for recognition as political prisoners by staging a hunger strike; Bobby Sands was the first of those men to die of starvation after 66 days without food.
Hunger is truly gritty viewing, the treatment of the prisoners is unbelievably awful and the constant torment will take a toll on many viewers. Fassbender committed heart and soul to the role of Sands, allowing himself to waste away in front of the camera, which is so heartbreakingly difficult to watch. Tough going all the way, but a story worth hearing.
FINAL SAY: I have my belief, and in all its simplicity that is the most powerful thing.
4 Chilli Peppers
Release Date: 2008
Rating: R 18+
Running Time: 96 mins
Directed by Steve McQueen, this historical film documents the events surrounding the 1981 Irish hunger strike that occurred when Republican prisoners tried to regain their political status after it was revoked by the British Government in 1976. Hunger premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008 where it received the prestigious Camera d'Or award.
Through a disturbing recount of Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender) time at the Maze Prison, we get a first hand look at the appalling conditions that these men endured to stand up for what they believed in. Following the 'blanket' and 'no wash' protest, the prisoners step up their demands for recognition as political prisoners by staging a hunger strike; Bobby Sands was the first of those men to die of starvation after 66 days without food.
Hunger is truly gritty viewing, the treatment of the prisoners is unbelievably awful and the constant torment will take a toll on many viewers. Fassbender committed heart and soul to the role of Sands, allowing himself to waste away in front of the camera, which is so heartbreakingly difficult to watch. Tough going all the way, but a story worth hearing.
FINAL SAY: I have my belief, and in all its simplicity that is the most powerful thing.
4 Chilli Peppers
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