Body Blog: Am I Healthy?

June 7, 2010 11:00 am     Posted in Body  Jackelyn - San Francisco State University g+ page


By Jackelyn

We hear all of these ads and campaigns telling us to “Be fit! Stay healthy!” But, what does that really mean? Eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables every day? Exercise 5 times a week? Do you have to be a certain weight? A certain size?

Maybe not. There’s no doubt eating healthy and living a healthy lifestyle are good life choices, but maybe it’s time we rethink things. Maybe it’s time to stop focusing on what we should be doing and define healthiness as how we  feel.

I am sure that somewhere in the mix, your weight, stomach size, or Body Mass Index matter. Yet, when it comes down to it, who needs doctors and health experts to tell us whether or not we’re fit? Your body knows better than anyone else how it is feeling. For example, bloating is the body’s natural response to an overfill of sugar or salt. On the other hand, a good workout will release endorphins, giving you a post-workout glow and leave you feeling pumped. You don’t need some health expert to explain those things to you. Nature knows best – you feel good when you do good.

So this goes to answer the question, am I healthy? I eat high-fiber oatmeal or cereal for breakfast, mangoes or an apple as a snack, a variable lunch (depending on what last night’s leftovers were), and for dinner I go for brown rice, a meat creation, and a vegetable side. As for my fitness routine, I work out 5-7 times a week, depending on my schedule. Most of my workouts are spent teaching hour-long classes as  a Turbo Kickboxing Instructor, but on my off days, I take it outside for a 4-5 mile run or focus on strength training.

To some, this may sound like a walk in the park, while others may think I am a health freak. Either way, this routine makes me happy. I don’t weigh myself that often because, frankly, I don’t care how much I weigh. As long as I can look in the mirror and create body peace with myself, I am content. To me, being happy with how I look and feel is true health. Of course, I’ll get my blood pressure and cholesterol checked every so often because it’s good to have that background information, but it’s not those numbers that I live by.

I used to think that being healthy depended on a person’s size and weight. Boy, was I wrong! Everyone has a different need and capacity when it comes to eating and working out and this one happens to be mine.

So, am I healthy? I would like to say so. How did I get to this point? By listening to my body’s needs and wants. So I encourage you to do the same. Do what feels right and remember that your body knows best.

Stay gorgeous, CC Readers!

10 Comments on "Body Blog: Am I Healthy?"

  1. Eimear says:
    Mon, 7th Jun 20107:19 am 

    Jackelyn, can I ask how you motivate yourself to do all that? I don't want to be thin, I just want to be healthy but I really do not have the motivation to go out and run for half an hour, even though I know how good I feel after it.

    Also I love how this post doesn't say what size we should be or anything, I like how you know what's right for you, but may not be right for anyone else. Thank you!

  2. allie says:
    Mon, 7th Jun 201011:40 am 

    i love that you said this, i know a lot of skinny girls who think they can “get away” with only eating junk and not exercising, because they think they dont need to. im a size 22 i eat right, exercise five hours a week, eat only 1200 calories, ive already lost 100 pounds, i have amazing chololesteral and blood pressure, yet people think i sit on the couch all day and eat bon bons and fast food, while my friend sits on the couch, eats fast food has high chololesteral and blood pressure and is a skinny size 4,yet people probably think shes healthy because of her size how silly is that

  3. emily says:
    Mon, 7th Jun 201012:26 pm 

    good for all of you! It's about time there's a shift in ideas about what it means to be healthy!

  4. Jackelyn - San Franc says:
    Mon, 7th Jun 20106:23 pm 

    Hi ladies! Thanks for the positive feedback.

    Allie, I love that you are conscious of your health. That's a much bigger step than a lot of people I know. In the end, you'll be the one who surpasses your friends because you know how to live right. You rock it, girl!

    Elmear, I stay motivated by giving myself a goal. I have a clear vision of how I want to feel when I wake up every morning, so I do everything I can to stay in line. There are days when it's hard to get myself to get up, but I feel so much more relaxed and de-stressed when I come back from a good workout. And you know what? Maybe running shouldn't be your thing! I think if you find a work out that suits your needs, you'll be more motivated…maybe you're the type of person who likes to take fitness classes or do workout DVD's instead? Find out what makes working out fun and worthwhile & you'll become motivated in no time :) Let me know what you think!

    Emily, Whoo!

  5. CASSEY says:
    Mon, 7th Jun 20106:32 pm 

    yes! Great article!!! Healthy is how you FEEL!!!

  6. James Chesser says:
    Tue, 16th Nov 20108:21 am 

    Great article! Listening to your body's needs and wants is the "way to GO!"

    Stay focussed and self-confident and "positively glow inside!"

  7. pete says:
    Wed, 31st Aug 20117:04 am 

    good post – however it must be remembered that there is a huge health and beauty industry out there for many reasons, the primary one being that too many of us make less than wise choices and so are not as healthy as we should be so over times problems do become apparent.

    In many parts of the world you only have to look around you at people on the street to see what I am getting at

  8. health and wellness says:
    Thu, 9th Feb 20128:29 pm 

    Being healthy is one of the most important thing we must pursue in our daily life.

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