I haven't blogged for a while, and thought I'd jump back into it. Being in college, and having two jobs has kept me really busy, but I'm happy to be back.  I wanted to talk about what being "healthy" means to ME. Everyone has their own way of taking care of their bodies, which is why you shouldn't take everything I say as bible. This is just my perspective on how I view my life and body. Ever since I could remember, I always had an issue with my physical appearance. To most people that sounds ridiculous, and sometimes I feel that I am being ridicules about the standards I set for myself. The greatest challenge of being human is accepting ourselves for who we are. That is a gradual process, and after 5+ years of trying to live more intuitively, I have come to realize that the journey may never end, at least not for me. I'm the type of person, that is never really "satisfied" with anything. This translates into every aspect of my life, getting an A+ on an exam never made me happy, or fulfilled, it made me feel as if, it wasn't enough, I'd always ask myself what was next? The destination never existed. This mindset is what makes me who I am, but it also poses the greatest challenge that I have to yet conquer with myself. With food, and my health, I used to find myself being on two opposite ends of the spectrum, I'd either be perfect with everything I ate (reading labels like it was my JOB, which is not healthy) or I would binge on the MOST unhealthiest foods. Many years later, and now being very close to being done with my college degree, I have found some middle ground. And let me tell you, it is like a breath of fresh air, somewhat accepting who you are, and embracing it. I know that I will never be happy with myself, because once I reach a goal, whether that be with my body, health, job, personal relationships etc... I will always set a new goal, because the finish line does not exist. I do not limit myself to one goal, my goals are limitless, till the day I am not longer able to complete one. 

Now, let me go through my typical day. Also I do want to mention that simply eating healthy, and exercising is not everything one needs to be "healthy". Health is more than just that, its how you feel on the inside as well, because trust me, negativity, sadness, and despair they show up and affect your health just as much as a bag of Cheetos. 

Okay, let me give you a play by play of how a typical day goes for me... 

I usually wake up pretty early, (I am in no way a morning person, but I usually have work so I'll be up by 5:30 AM) If I don't have work, I'll sleep in till about 7-8AM (assuming I went to bed at 9 PM) If I don't have work, then I will usually make myself a cup of coffee, clean the house, do laundry, prep breakfast (which I eat around 1-2 PM) regardless of being at work or at home. I don't eat a legitimate breakfast, I prefer fasting for a very long time, because I want my body to burn any excess fat that it can before I reintroduce food. Now- for anyone who has gotten to this point, I understand if you have data to support that this may not be a great thing to do, but I ALSO have data:) In recent years, their has been a lot of studies on intermittent fasting and their benefits, on how it gives your body a chance to "cleanse" itself, and fight off any excess crap you may have floating around in their....So this is what I like, and it's what I do. I will usually sip on my coffee, near a window where the sun is shining on my face (if its not cloudy:/ ya feel?) My coffee time is ritualistic for me, it starts my day with the right foot forward, and gives me a few minutes to just NOT thing about anything, cause' damn I get so tired of thinking sometimes. After my coffee, I will go shower, and prep myself for work. If I didn't have work I would do a workout, which really just means some deep stretching and yoga. I found yoga feels better for my body, I DO NOT lift weights, I actually hate it, and that is my personal opinion on it. I like to use my body weight and resistance bands to work difference muscle groups. If I do workout I will have a grassfed protein shake within 20 minutes of my workout. My first meal of the day being around that 1-2pm window will consist of whatever the hell I honestly made for the dinner the night before or a random assortment of vegetables and greens. I try to have a salad at least for one of my meals every day, because girl needs her fiber (my bowels are really important to me, no shame in admitting it :), if my gut is happy I AM happy, majority of a humans serotonin is made in ones gut, so if you're gut isn't happy well sorry hunny you aren't either)  For dinner I try to have fun. My boyfriend and I will see what we are in the mood for, and dinner is usually some type of protein (fish, chicken, grassfed beef) with vegetables (brocollini, brussel spouts, carrots) and starch (gluten free bread, maybe some gluten pasta on the rare occasion, or potatoes). I try to avoid gluten, because it reeks havoc on your gut... yes its quite sad, because I do enjoy bread:) just with limitations and portions. After dinner, I will usually indulge in something sweet, such as dark chocolate (something without soy), and have a cup of tea. 

Anyone can be healthy, it's not an impossible task. I'm going to share with you my TOP 5 HEALTH TIPS that you can start doing TODAY.

1. If you haven't heard this already, drink more water! It's as simple as that. Dehydration could be the reason behind your, indigestion, bloat, flatulence, and constipated bowels. Hydrating your body with at least 8 ounces (2 liters) is essential for proper gut functioning. And, if you can drink more than 8 ounces then do it! That guideline is by no means something you have to follow strictly, just make sure you're at least having 8 ounces.

2. Consume more whole foods. Instead of having a bag of chips with your lunch, replace it with a bell pepper, cucumbers, or whatever your heart desires! Mine mostly desires bell peppers, and once you make these simple swaps, you learn to love them. Everything in life is about discipline and time. If you can change your habits, then you can change your mind, and your taste pallet will follow. 

3. Be patient, yes I know that's not a "food tip", its a mind, body, soul tip. What you think, is what you feel, and evidently what your body becomes. If you are constantly stressed, or angry with the circumstances of your life- it's going to show up on your face, around your hips, and probably your thighs. Life is not a one way ticket going up. There are bumps, (***cliche but it's the truth!) sometimes really, really deep bumps. Food could be your way of trying to make it all better, don't let it be. Being strong is not something everyone is born with, so sometimes some of us have to practice self confidence and strength a little harder than others and thats OK. Remember that time when you were in 7th grade and the kid next to you was just the greatest math wiz of all time, and then there was you. Yeah- I know, it happens. But what did YOU do about it? Did you get up one day on your mattress and say I'M GOING TO RISE ABOVE ALL OF THIS, THIS FRACTION WILL NEVER STOP ME, or did you let things burry you, until this very moment of your life. I'm just saying if you never got up on you mattress yelling absurd things into the universe, then I encourage you to do it, and do it proudly. When you're looking into the future, it's hard to see anything. I know most of us will try to imagine, and then that imagination will lead to impatience, and impatience will lead to everyday feeling as lonely as the next, just hoping for that "one day" you tried to imagine so hard. So, just know that GOD has a plan for every single person. And I'm sure you have heard that before but I don't care, you need to hear it again. Be proud of yourself, and chase your passions. 

4. Exercise 3 times a week, at least. Having the "perfect body" is less about how much you exercise and more about what you eat and how much of it. Diet is 80% of your fitness journey, so pay more attention to what you're eating and how much. Exercise is still very important, but don't think that eating unhealthy, and not watching your consumption, while exercising 3 hours a day is going to get you were you want. Your health comes first, before any body image you had planned for yourself. The amount you eat could over work your body, so you want to watch how much is too much for your body/muscle type. I always recommend doing a 16/8 intermittent fast, where you fast 16 hours and eat within the 8 hour period approximately 2-3 meals. If you are lifting heavy, your meals should be 3-4 times filled with more protein and veggies. But this by no means is a guide you have to follow 100%. If you have an intense workout on one day and not the next then you can alter how much you are eating. The point is, eat when you're hungry, or when it's necessary. Food is meant to nourish your body and keep you alive. If you think of food that way, then you'll never overeat. It's all about balance, know your limits, find what works for you, and if you want to enjoy a bag of popcorn with your movie on a Friday night, please have no regrets. 

5. A health tip for a health tip! I want you to share a healthy tip, something you have learned from my post with a friend. Inspire someone you know whether that is a family member, or your best friend. What's the point in being healthy and knowledgable if we aren't sharing it with the people we love. 

xx
TheFoodiePharmer

Welcome everyone!

The purpose of this post is to introduce the key components to my site to help you gain optimally from it.

​I will be having a BLOG portion which will focus on different topics every week. This can range from:

-health topics
-exercise habits
-athletic apparel 
-grocery shopping
-personal thoughts
-or.. anything I can think to write a blog post about that YOU can gain something from

I will also have a portion of the blog dedicated to my RECIPES of various things that I make and enjoy everyday as part of my routine. I will include all relevant details, such as:
​
-prep time
-ingredients
-directions

I will do my best to link all the brands I use in my cooking, if there is discrepancy feel free to reach out.