Without Standards

Written by Evan Crothers

 

Occasionally when I tell people I am a Holistic Health Coach their response is…”Oh…hmmm…like crunchy…granola…Birkenstock, peace and love thing?”  To which I politely giggle and say…”No.”  

The word holistic has started to build large momentum in the past decade, usually accompanied with words like “detox,” and “cleanse.”  Some people are turned off by these words and believe it’s not real or effective, simply because they don’t understand it.  On the other hand some people are turned on by these words and scream…”YES! ME!…Over here!…I need to be cleansed….right now dammit!…I’m dying over here!!!”  But they expect some instant ” I’ll drink this green liquid that tastes like dirt and I’ll be thin, happy and gorgeous, without having to do much work. Yay!”  This thought is a tad extreme, and I always say…life is about managing expectations.  I mean…really…I used to think Holistic meant organic…so there ya go.  

 

The definition of holistic is “Emphasizing the importance of the whole and the interdependence of its parts.” With that in mind I practice a holistic approach to health and wellness, which means that I look at how all areas of your life are connected. Does stress at your job or in your relationship cause you to overeat? Does lack of sleep or low energy prevent you from exercising? When I work with people we look at how all parts of your life affect your health as a whole.  Now, if you like the “dirt” drink then great!  There are many benefits to it, but if you don’t then why force yourself?  How many times have you tried a diet with certain restrictions, telling you to eat something you can’t stand.  Well guess what, you don’t like it, you most likely wont be able to sustain eating something you hate, so I will politely suggest you to stop.  I guarantee there are many healthy foods you do or will like.

It wasn’t always easy and clear for me either…in fact, it can still can be a struggle some days, but that’s what makes us human.  We have all been in those jobs/ situations where you wake up everyday pasty and un-inspired and think, “how can I keep doing this…I have hit a ceiling… I want to do something else…I can’t stand my manager… I’m not making enough money…I want to be in love…I want to get out of this relationship…where do I go…I want nice things…and on top of it all… I’m bored (which is usually just displaced anger).  That’s an awful lot to wake up with. It’s also over-whelming, and can make it so hard for us to figure out where to start.  Many times instead of starting to change one thing at a time we instantly change everything which is so overwhelming we give up.  Letting the fear paralyze us, instead of driving us forward.  How many times have you said, “Oh well, I don’t like what I do, but it pays the bills, and I have insurance.”  It’s the old “Golden Handcuffs” rationalization.  How can I leave when I have it good?  Let’s be honest, most of us especially in this economy don’t have golden handcuffs, we have ugly rusted ones that barely do the job.  You can still be grateful while wanting more for yourself.

 

Believe it or not so many of these things we deal with in life effect what we eat and how much we eat.  Those choices then effect our physical body, mood and confidence.  My nutritional philosophy is that there is so much in our lives that are out of our control.  Once thing you can control or learn how to control is how you decide to nourish yourself.  I was shocked to see how much happier and more even tempered my mood was on a daily basis.  You look better, you feel better, you gain confidence.  When that happens you are a better version of yourself, and that enables you to take risks, and to fight for what you want in your life.  You begin to create standards for yourself.  Maybe you didn’t have many before, or maybe you did and you decide you can raise them.  Whatever it is, your life will change…and change is good…it can be scary as hell, but it’s good.  You know that feeling at an amusement park…before you get on that scary ride where you drop hundreds of feet towards the earth at 85 mph all the while thinking ” am I going to be that person that falls out and dies?!”  That’s fear, and you can either let it paralyze you or use it to propel you forward.  Whether or not it feels like it, you are in the drivers seat of your own life.  You may want to loose weight, change jobs, get better at dating, whatever it is I say do the dance with fear, be smart about it and it will pay off.