Defining Health
How you define your health can differ throughout your life. As a growing teenager your definition may differ from a woman in her peri-menopause era. Defining health from person to person can also lead to a variety of health expectations. How one individual would define being in good health may vary from another individual. Having compassion for these individual differences allows you to stay focused on what health means to you, in your unique body.
If you Google “health definition” you’ll get the following:
The state of being free from illness or injury.
A person’s mental or physical condition.
These are pretty vague definitions that leave a lot of room for adaptations and creation of your own unique understanding of what health is in your body. What you may notice from these is that there is no relationship between your weight/size and your health. This may differ from an internalized belief you have from the sadly common societal view that has been engrained in us; a stigma connecting weight to health status. Have compassion for yourself if there are negative thoughts that come up in relation to your body weight/size when creating your own unique definition of health. You’re not alone in that false narrative, it makes sense that you would hold onto that belief that has been sold to you over and over again. Further reading recommendations on this topic: Health at Every Size by Lindo Bacon, and Anti-Diet by Christy Harrison.
Expanding on the second definition of health from Google, it is clear there is a connection between the mind and body. Both are considered when defining your unique health. A body that is physically functioning to its available capacity is only as good as the body’s mental capacity, and vice versa. As our society becomes more aware of the implications of an individual’s mental state, we see more compassion and understanding for the relationship that the mental state has on the physical body.
To create a unique definition of health in your body, there may be separation in looking at your physical and mental health, with the understanding that there is a strong connection between the two.
When looking at physical health, moving past any weight/size ideations leaves room for so many amazing traits that can be looked at. A healthy physical body is ever changing, as it grows and ages. The body is an amazing ecosystem that is comprised of many different systems that work together to create a functioning physical body. These systems include cardiovascular system, nervous system, endocrine system, lymphatic and immune system, skeletal system, urinary system, and digestive system. These systems, although labeled separately, do not function without each other. Your individual physical health definition may include unique differences in any of these systems, but overall health is a combination of the function of all of them. An example of a unique individual health difference is if an individual has Chron’s disease, an illness that impacts the digestive systems capability. That individual’s body is still able to function to its best health, but what “normal” health feels like for them will be unique to someone without that illness.
Mental health includes an individual’s thoughts, moods, feelings, and nervous system functions in day to day life. As a society, there has been a lot of awareness brought to mental health and its implications on the rest of the body. The nervous system has a direct relationship to the other body systems, our thoughts, feelings, emotions, and moods can influence all body systems, thus impacting the body’s health. Part of being human is embracing the variety of emotions that come with living a full life. Just as dieting and restricting foods can lead to ill health, restricting emotions can cause negative health implications as well. The key to creating your own mental health definition is to focus on the flexibility and individual ability to safely process thoughts and feelings in the body. This does not mean that we will be happy 100% of the time, that is not a realistic goal for any individual’s mental health, instead there is a focus on adapting and coping with stressors as they come up in life. An example of this can be seen in the grief process, which encompasses many different stages and emotions in a non-linear process. Being mentally healthy allows for agility through all emotional states, returning to an individually unique emotional range that is considered the most consistent and “normal” for that individual. If you’re in need of additional support for your mental health, please seek out a professional therapist or social worker to support you.
As you begin to redefine your unique definition of health, there is an amazing video series that further explains ways to create a healthy relationship with your body through nutritional choices, movement, and more. We do a deep dive into 6 key areas for our members;
Defining Health
Fundamentals of Movement
Gut Health
How Hormones Fit In
Food Triggers
Mindset & Stress Management
If you’re interested in learning more contact us for a copy of the Health Fundamentals series!
