Self Healing: Three More Reasons to Eat Healthy

Have you gotten caught up in the self-healing buzz? It seems like more and more people are thinking seriously about what they can do personally to maintain health and wellness. Yet even among the most committed, a few things still occasionally fly under the radar. Maybe you shortchange yourself on sleep. Hang around with pessimists. Forget to eat your veggies. In that spirit, let's explore three more reasons to eat healthy!

When you ask people why they think it's important to eat healthy, their answers will usually center around nutrition. They'll hem and haw, coming out eventually with something like this, "Well, healthy food has more nutrition and nutrition makes you healthy."

Basically true. And yet there's more! Sure healthy food is good for your body. But what about these hidden benefits of putting a prime portion on your plate?

1. Healthy foods build extra "margin" into your life. A couple of years ago, my elderly mother ended up in the hospital with a serious case of bronchitis. Mom is a really good eater and overall quite healthy. Yet in the moment, she didn't feel well.

   "I only ate about half my dinner," she said when I talked with her. "I know I need to eat to get my strength back, but it doesn't taste good right now. I just can't get it down."

   Well, mom really didn't have to worry. As we talked, I reminded her that she eats well almost all the time. Her body's got an excellent store of nutrients. She can afford a few days of lighter eating without getting into trouble.

   "Of course," she said. "I suppose I can." And mom had one less thing to be worried about. She could put all her vital energy to healing and forget about feeling guilty for leaving a little food on her plate.

2. Healthy foods give you more energy, and from there... From a position of having more energy, you're much more likely to make additional healthy choices.

   Think of the choices you have on the weekend or in the evening after work. Go to the gym or lie on the couch. Weed the garden or hook yourself on a computer game. Take the kids to the park or dump them off at the movies. In many cases, the objectively "healthier" choice -- the gym, the garden, or the park -- is more active than its sedentary alternative. That takes a little more energy.

   But it goes further than that. Do you start up a little side business or stick with the "safe, secure job"? Mobilizing your own idea requires more energy, yet it could also ultimately be lucrative and satisfying. Do you take the initiative to upgrade your home's "curb appeal" or settle for the way things are now? Do you consider investing in a piece of rental property (knowing that it will require your time and attention to maintain), or just buy yourself a bigger TV?

   Eating healthy can lead to all manner of further adventures!

3. Eating healthy gives you a reason to feel good about yourself. At the end of the day, you'll know one of two things. That you did the best you're able to nurture your health and well-being. Or that you caved in to stress, exhaustion, overwhelm, or peer pressure and compromised your self-care.

   When you consistently make choices that match your values, you'll feel good about yourself. Most humans have a strong self-protection instinct. Therefore, most humans will feel better about making healthy choices than about pursuing a path of self-destruction.

   Bonus! People who feel better about themselves tend to make even more healthy choices!

From a mind-body-spirit perspective, it's clear that there is value in making healthy food choices that far exceeds their nutrient content. As an added bonus, many people agree that fresh healthy foods taste great!