Ok, be HONEST.

How many of you have muttered the words (out loud, or to yourself) something like this in the last week: “that’s it! no more summer nightly wine/ice cream!” or “hey babe, wanna go vegan with me for a month?”

Just guessing.

I mean, I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t use to have those exact thoughts too, a few years ago. Fall used to be the time of the year that I’d always do something more hardcore to try and get myself back on track.

I mean, seriously.

One time, I did a 10 day apple cleanse (meaning I ate only apples during the day with 1 tiny light dinner at night). And yes, it was just as terrible as it sounds if you’re wondering.

Another year, time, I  did a liver cleanse that had me drinking a weird mixture of olive oil and grapefruit juice and taking millions of expensive little supplements. Also, yes, this was just as terrible as it sounds.

There were juice cleanses and detoxes, 30 day elimination diets, and weeks of trying to not eat meat or dairy or go totally carb-free. Alcohol-free, too (someone’s gotta be working with Sublime Wellness Center).

It wasn’t until much later in life that I realized that this was becoming a thing I did.

A tradition.

I almost started anticipating it. Like, oh… what’s one more glass of rose? I’m detoxing next week, so eh. Might as well.

You probably know how that one turned out, right?

Let’s just say, with a lot of ups and down. Extreme moves. Of  being either really “good” or really “not good” with my food, depending how much fun/travel/social stuff I had going on.

To be honest I should say that it is not a very good idea to go to such extremes, as your diet should be well balanced, to make sure you get enough nutrition. I had some problems with my teeth, as  a result of some ‘food experiments’, so if you have a similar problem, I can advise you to visit West Cobb Dentistry for more details how to keep your teeth healthy when on diet.

What’s a girl to do who wants BOTH? To be healthy and energized, but also live her life to the fullest?

I thought you had to pick sides, and that it was normal for it to change every other day.

And that there was no way around it: that it was just normal to  punish yourself and struggle uphill sometimes if you wanted to be healthy.

But what I know now, that I didn’t know then?

That being healthy wasn’t just about the food.

And I was always thinking about what and when I was eating, instead of looking at the much bigger picture. 

That a healthy life is being healthy physically, mentally, emotionally and weirdly yes, even spiritually. And that they are all connected. You can’t go all in with one piece, and ignore the rest.

Because food is something so deep and tightly interwoven to the rest of our lives: our relationships, our purpose, our work in this world, our energy, our moods, our patience, and how we show up in the world every single day.

And what took me years to figure out,  is now something I feel adamant about teaching and sharing as much as I can:

That is is possible to get healthier with way more ease, instead of always having to fight it.

That it’s more about collecting tiny behaviors that have a big IMPACT on your life, instead of a lot of big drastic changes that fizzle out just as fast as they started.

That healthy is about learning to feed yourself (and others around you) with more love and grace and intention. And softly weaved into the context of real life, instead of with black and whites rules that are too hard to keep up over time.

That being truly healthy is way more about taking the time and space to actually learn yourself better, so you can read your internal cues/hints, instead of relying on external rules, or what your best friend/neighbor/ and yes, even the queen, Beyonce is doing.

I mean, right?!

I know.  Easier said than done.  It’s not exactly the way our society trains us to think.

So, as we kick off this month and fall season, I find myself sitting here with so much to say.

But, let’s start small.

And today.

So, for those of you that are open to it, I have a little extra challenge for you this week:

What if you picked just one thing to focus on, and to bring more love to in your daily life? One intention. One daily action or habit.  One thing that you know makes a big difference to how you show up to the world each day.

What would that be?

And what could happen if you committed to it, most days, without fail?

Would you be healthier? Happier? More calm and grounded? More likely to want to continue it because of how much it’s bringing to the other areas of your life?

Bingo.

Let’s go.

I want to know what they are below.

Need some more ideas? Pick one of your favorite days from the 10 day challenge to continue on with, or make up your own. Say it out loud, by commenting below or come find me @simplyrealhealth on facebook or instagram and let me know.

Let’s make a little magic, and start a better trend together: of grace, of love for ourselves and others, with ease instead of panic. Who’s in?

PS- Loving all this healthy Fall inspiration? Stay tuned for tomorrow’s big announcement, right here on the blog. You won’t want to miss it. 

Photo by @talithaphotos