Thoughts for Thursday: Are You Healthy?

I wanted to share a snippet of an email I got from Leanne Ely - the Dinner Diva, she of savingdinner.com and flylady fame... she totally rocks and love her take on food, attitude and health.

Note: My apologies to all the guys reading this - I was going to change all the "women" to "people" but didn't. Feel free to substitute at will. ;)

1)A healthy woman is AWARE. Her mouth is a treasure, not a trash can. When it is time to fuel up, she chooses food that will nourish her body so she can nourish herself first, THEN the people in her life. Her nutritional needs are NOT on the bottom of the list! [Personal note: nourishing food does not equal boring, bland food. Food is meant to be enjoyed and savored! With little time and a bit of imagination, nourishing foods CAN be amazingly tasty! S.]

2)A healthy woman TAKES THE TIME. Contrary to what we think (that we don't have time), we all have the same 24 hours in the day. Taking 5 minutes to make a nutrient packed salad or waiting 5 minutes in the drive thru amounts to the same amount of time?one of those choices has huge dividends, the other one just offers a huge backend!

3)A healthy woman is CONSISTENT. It's not about being on a diet to lose weight to get into your smallest pair of jeans. Consistently eating well means you are consistently doing something proactive to affect the quality of your health. Nutrients feed your body's cells, giving them life and giving you vitality and energy!

4)A healthy woman is APPRECIATIVE. Good, healthy food eaten with a happy, grateful heart makes all the difference! When you eat poorly, you feel guilty. We all do! We vow to better next time, but next time doesn't come. Appreciating what YOU DO FOR YOURSELF (via healthy eating) will change EVERYTHING! Your energy levels, the sparkle in your eyes, the constant smile on your face?people will wonder what you're up to!

5)A healthy woman MOVES her body! We need this--it is nature's best anti-depressant! Endorphins ladies, endorphins! You feel GREAT after an invigorating walk! You can give yourself hearty congratulations and high five yourself?yes you can! Doing something and moving is like the frosting on the healthy woman's cake. Yes, you can do this. Yes, you DO have time!