TRI to be Healthy!!

Hey yall!!

It is lovely here on the MS Gulf Coast today!! I'm feeling pretty lovely myself too!! Yays!! It's been a long while since I've felt this good. I actually wanted to share some information I received this morning with yall in case you haven't been feeling that great either. Here is a link to a quiz that evaluates how well you are living with your depression: Quiz!! Maybe you don't have depression but should you stop reading this post? NO!!!! The tips given throughout and at the end of this quiz are wonderful for ANYONE seeking to improve their quality of life. Although you may not be diagnosed with depression or have any severe mental health issues, improving your quality of life even in the slightest is simple and quite worth it in my opinion.

One of the tips given in this quiz is consistent exercise. I personally have noticed a HUGEEEE change in my mental health since I have started exercising consistently. I have also cut back on comsuming starch because I have insulin resistance and PCOS (I learned recently that cutting back on starch helps to reverse insulin resistance and thus, the symptoms of PCOS). The combination of these two new habits have been extraordinary!!!! In fact, I am able to focus my time and energy on training and this helps me be more motivated to choose foods that will fuel my workouts and improve my mental health. The best encouragement for weight loss, health lifestyle changes, etc. is the immediate improvements you can see and feel.

In fact, I just competed in my first triathlon this past Saturday. It was such a challenge in so many ways but I am so happy and proud that I finished it!! I was actually getting panicky before the swim started and had to use my newfound breathing techniques and self encouragement techniques to calm myself down, which I did. WIN! I had to plan my meals and snacks carefully so that I would not get sick during the race which motivated me to eat healthy and nutritious foods. WIN! Lastly, the pride and confidence I felt in myself at the finsih line was the best gift I could have ever given myself. WIN!

I truly believe that  exercise and healthy eating are marvelous for mental and physical health but I also believe that competetive activities such as marathons and triathlons, in which the focus and work you have successfully committed to culminate in pride and confidence, are some of the best ways to deal with mental health issues. Races, in my opinion, aid in improving the quality of life you have in so many ways. For example, allowing yourself to commit and focus on a goal as simple as finsihing a race takes your mind off of your overwhelming sadness if you have depression. Or it could take your mind off of your hectic schedule for the day and provide you some "you" time. Focusing on finishing a race also takes your worries off of weight loss if that is a challenge you are facing. For if you consistently exercise to promote the achievmeent of your goal, which is to finish the race, and learn to eat to fuel those workouts weight will come off naturally at the proper rate. I really believe all these things to be true and I have already noticed the immense benefits of making such lifestyle changes. I encourage you to do the same whether or not you are dealing with depression, PCOS, or insulin resistance. Every one deserves to live the best life possible. Why not give that gift to yourself?

Have a healthy day yall!!

<3 Haley