Indulge. Enjoy. Live. Not always 100% healthy IS ok!

This has been bothering me lately and has come to a head today because of a slew of comments, tweets and nasty emails from trolls lately on my own blog and others.
Be forewarned, normally my posts are more visual than text…
short and to the point rather than long winded…
This post; however, may get a bit long…though not winded…the info is genuine, real and needs to be said!

Reality is this…
nobody is 100% healthy 24/7
365 days a year (366 this year)

So, why all the hate from others who unjustly put fitness & health bloggers on a pedestal?
Sadly, it’s not even just the general population doing it but I’ve seen other fit bloggers bashing other fit bloggers.

I’ve seen others being bashed because someone has the misconception that you must live off of celery & carrot sticks, salads and chia (though I do love me all of these!) all the time to be healthy.
I’ve seen the mean tweets and insane rants over a sip of soda, a brownie, a school not putting sunscreen on a kid (though in my opinion IF you’re wanting to slather your kid up before field day that’s your responsibility not the schools because I’d be the opposite, if the school slathered on chemical crap on my kids I’d be upset), over a fit blogger eating at McD’s (ok so I don’t eat there, that doesn’t make it wrong to eat there) and yea don’t start on the whole McD’s obesity/diabetes epidemic because it’s not McD’s fault, and yes you could get medicine online from sites as https://healthyusa.co/vedda-blood-sugar-remedy-review-treat-diabetes-for-good/ but still…it’d be the person (more times than not the parent of the obese child) who is at blame…because they cave and they are the ones buying the Happy meal or value meal or whatever and they’re the ones feeding it to their child…but that’s a whole topic in itself…self responsibility and accountability.

If you want to eat at McD’s (or anywhere else for that matter) that’s fine, it’s your body and ditto that for anything else you may want to do.
I won’t tell you not to nor damn you to hell like the trolls seem to want to do.
Shoot my own teen daughter now has a hankering (yea I’m going southern on ya there) for iced coffee from dunkin donuts, McD’s and frappuccinos from Starbucks.
I, at 44.5 have not tasted coffee nor have any desire to.
Does it make me a bad mom for buying hers?
dunno…don’t care…but I’m not going to blame McD’s, Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts if she becomes addicted to it because they’re not forcing me to drive there, go inside, order it (which funny as it is, she has to text me exactly what she wants because I have no clue how to order coffee, fraps or anything else and I just hand the person working my phone and say “this is what I want”)

Bashed for having a fitness challenge starting July 1 that isn’t rough, hard, structured enough…because how dare I apparently format a challenge hosted by me, featured on my blog and it be about making progress and helping the average person make progress with exercise of their choice (plank, push up and squats) and not have me come down on them like a drill sergeant..that approach doesn’t work with everyone!
Yet, the majority of people are happy and participating in the challenge because it isn’t so demanding and allows for progress not annihilation.

Bashed for also detesting green drinks/smoothies.
Reality is this, you could not pay me to drink wheatgrass, a green smoothie, spirinella, chlorophyll or anything else that smells, looks or tastes grassy.
I will instantly have gag reflex even if I just smell it.
Evident by the fact I had to return the Ultimate Reset from Beachbody because of the contents of the alkalize packet!
I opened it and immediately hurled..sorry no nice way to say it.

In supplement for sale industry, it’s about marketing; it’s not about what’s in the product

I also LOVE peanut butter cups…whether I make them myself, or if they’re Justin’s or good ole’ Reese’s peanut butter cups they are my downfall!
(Though admittingly I’ve come a long way from where I was like almost 18 years ago when one time out of emotional eating and the fact my son had a stupid fundraiser to sell fifty 4 packs of Reese’s I consumed all 200 peanutbutter cups in one night!)
Yes, I have been there, done that and that’s why and how I can relate and help coach others on intuitive eating, emotional eating, healthy eating.
I now may indulge in one 4 pack.
Does that mean I’m not healthy?
NO, it means I’m human and I do eat clean, natural healthy foods 98% of the time.
Though I do have some fitness goals that will require I not eat those little indulgences but that doesn’t mean I can’t ever have them.
Just like I only drink water or homemade juice 99% of the time.
I exercise usually 6 days a week and work outside usually 2 or 3 days a week.

I love the sun (the other thing I get bashed for…constantly).
I do not wear sunscreen nor will I.
I want to get my Vit D and not slather chemical goop all in my pores, which in my opinion will do more harm to people than the actual sun…
and don’t lecture me on skin cancer because my stance won’t change…I believe genetics and what you put ON and IN your body have more an effect than how much sunlight you actually get.
Ever do the research on how many people have skin cancer who live near the equator, eat off the land, don’t use chemical funk on their bodies and are tan from being outside all the time compared to those in North America who live on processed junk food, bathe in chemical funk, slather on more chemical funk to prevent skin cancer and yet end up with skin cancer?!

Besides, if I don’t tell you how to eat, what to eat, what to drink, how white/tan to be, how to live your life (unless of course you’re one of my coaching clients) then why do people feel the need (right) to tell me? (or others)
Is my being in the sun affecting you?
Is my eating inhaling a king size Reese’s package somehow affecting you?
Yes, I’m an example to others who are trying to live a healthier lifestyle but I’m also real and realistic about it.
I will fall…
I will not ever be 100% healthy 100% of the time.
That’s life.

I don’t drink alcohol and not because I don’t like the taste…
because trust me, fruity drinks with double rum floaters are yummmmy
I don’t drink because my body and mind don’t like it!
I gain weight like crazy and go into full blown Spanglish (english-spanish mix for those who aren’t familiar with South Florida) mode and get pretty stupid.
I am an all or nothing person and me and alcohol do not get along…at all.
I know that, I accept that, I deal with that…thus the reason I do not drink and haven’t for 10+ years.
I know others who can have a glass of wine or indulge in a yummy refreshing Pina Colada or Margurita but I personally cannot.
That doesn’t make those people less healthy or less motivating as athletes, runners, fit bloggers!
It makes them REAL!

Live is to be ENJOYED!
To be LIVED!
To INDULGE!
To have FUN!

My blog is about Balancing Healthy Body, Mind and Soul part of balance is enjoying, indulging, living, and having fun!
It’s not all about biking, running, eating 100% clean 100% of the time, push ups and control.
Balance my friends…and enjoy!
If you’re not enjoying life it doesn’t matter how healthy you are (in my opinion).
While I want to and plan on having skincarerejuvenation.org or more, I plan on enjoying life and being happy and healthy…
otherwise whats the point in living that long and not being happy?!

Heather Montgomery of Running With Sass posted about Vote for your Park a America’s Favorite Park campaign and recreation grant from Coca-Cola. The first comment on her post was from a dude who basically said he was upset she was promoting this because there’s nothing healthy about coke.
Ummm, ok there isn’t…and while I gave up my Mt Dew addiction (and yes, it was an addiction at 6-12 cans A DAY) that doesn’t mean that nobody who lives a healthy lifestyle or active lifestyle can’t have an occasional soda.
Overlooking that aspect, the program itself is an awesome one in my opinion.
Coke is giving $$$$ to parks!
Parks seem to be dying because everyone’s too busy with electronic activity more so than outdoor physical activity.
So, while someone may not like or condone soda SO WHAT!
There’s a balance to life and that’s about ENJOYING it, INDULGING and simply LIVING!
Not torturing ourselves, being miserable and restrictive every minute of the day.
Heather runs, trains, works and so what if she ENJOYS a coke (or anything else for that matter)
She’s making a huge difference in her life, and so many others by what she does a coke isn’t going to do her in and the people who can’t grasp that concept…well how many unhealthy things did YOU do today?!
I think Matthew 7:3 says it all “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?”

Then there’s Janine a/k/a The Purple Giraffe.
and to just take one blurb from her “epic fail” post (but go read the whole thing!)
Here’s the thing though – neither of those options would be productive. Instead, it’s better to just realize that it was a splurge, a treat, and not an everyday occurrence – then get back on track!
We can’t be perfect all the time when it comes to our eating. Life happens, we get together with friends, the beers flow, the food options aren’t the best (or even if there are better options, sometimes you just want fried fish!)…
IT HAPPENS. And IT’S OKAY

And, then comes Cait Plus Ate with her Summer with a side of guilt post.
Again read the whole post but I liked these thoughts, I am often able to find myself distracted enough by good times to quiet my mind and enjoy myself in the moment. I’m glad I haven’t been missing out on anything.
and
When I’m smiling like this and having a good time, does it really matter that I’m not being “perfect Caitlin”? That I’m not eating clean? It’s just one day – one meal, even.

We also have Suzi, who’s blog is about Confessions of a Fitness Instructor…because life isn’t about being perfect.

So, before this turns into a novel…
some words of advice:
ENJOY life
INDULGE every now and then (while not making it a daily habit) unless it’s indulging in a workout or something like that 😉
Be HAPPY
Don’t JUDGE
Don’t BASH
Be KIND
Make PROGRESS
Do what’s RIGHT FOR YOU
Don’t tell others WHAT TO DO or how to live their lives (unless they’re paying you to!)

Question of the day
What things do you ENJOY or INDULGE in?