Why I Tell People Weight Doesn’t Matter: Part 2

Hello friend! A few weeks ago I wrote a post outlining 5 physical markers that are WAY more predictive of health than a number on a scale. They were:

1. You can digest, absorb, and assimilate the food you put in your body.
2. You wake up feeling energized and excited for the day ahead.
3. You can regularly move your body without suffering from aches, pains, or excessive fatigue.
4. You don’t suffer from chronic food cravings or binging/purging cycles.
5. You see your body as a partner, not the enemy.

You can read all the details here. I share a bit about my journey and how I struggled with excessive exercise, restrictive eating, and binging/purging and how even though I was a culturally appropriate weight, I was miserable and completely unhappy in my own body. Today I wanted to share five more health markers that you can look for in order to gauge whether or not you are on the right track, health wise.

1. You don’t suffer from anxiety, depression, or other psychological imbalances

As more studies are done the link between the gut, brain, and mental health becomes stronger and stronger. In fact about 70-80% of the serotonin your body produces is made in the digestive system and so if you are suffering from leaky gut, undiagnosed food allergies, bacterial imbalance, or a candida overgrowth chances are good that your mental and emotional health are not as robust as they could be.

If you suffer from mental health imbalances it is worth taking a look at the state of your digestive system, even if you don’t present with classic symptoms such as gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, or cramping. This is one of the main focuses of my Learn to Love Your Healthy Self Nutrition Program. Click here to see if it’s right for you!

2. Your hair and nails are thick and strong

When we’re not properly absorbing and assimilating our nutrients, body parts that are deemed less important don’t often receive the nutrients they need as our systems work hard to shuttle those we do consume to important tasks such as keeping our organs strong or running our metabolism. Chances are good that if your hair and nails are thin or really brittle you may have an underlying deficiency or even imbalanced hormones due to thyroid issues. So take a peek at your nails to get a sense at your current state of health.

3. You are free from aches, pains, or chronic inflammation

A lot of people believe that aches and pains are just a natural by-product of growing older. However, this is most certainly not the case. A lot of times these sorts of issues have their root in chronic inflammation, which much recent scientific inquiry is putting at the root cause of many diseases of civilization such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and even those pesky aches, pains, or skin issues. If you wake up achey and sore chances are good that you have some unchecked inflammation or hormonal imbalance (often the two are linked) going on beneath the surface. Luckily, making a switch to a whole foods diet and avoiding inflammatory oils can work wonders in alleviating these issues.

4. You don’t suffer from constant colds, flus, or other illnesses

Now I’m not saying that once you are eating healthy and moving your booty on the regular you’ll never get sick again. What I am saying is that if you are someone who catches every cold and flu that passes through your office or suffers from seasonal allergies every single year, then your internal ecology is likely not full in balance. There are many different possible causes for a lowered immune system such as candida overgrowth, chronic stress, chronic inflammation, leaky gut, food allergies, or bacterial imbalance to name a few. If you feel like you’re sick more often than not then it is worth your while to contact someone who can help you get to the root cause of your particular imbalance.

5. You are able to effectively process and release stress

Ah stress. Modern life is full of chronic stressors that constantly keep our bodies in fight or flight mode, never allowing us to rest, digest, or heal. These stressors include work, money, relationships, ruminating on “what ifs,” traffic, and many, many more. I’ve written a few posts on the dangers of chronic stress so I won’t get into it here, but one of the hallmarks of good health is your ability to process and release stress so that it doesn’t continue to negatively impact you long after you’ve encountered it. There are tons of great strategies that you can start incorporating to help you with this release such a restorative yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, journaling, connecting with hobbies or nature, walking, and so on. The important thing is that you find the one that works best for you and practice it until you are able to quickly and effectively bring your stress levels back under control.

Well friend, those are 5 more indicators of good health that move way beyond your weight or pant size. Make sure you go through the first article and see where you stand and where you may need to focus some attention.

If you’re looking for a way to kick-start some healthy habits, self-love practices, and figure out which foods are keeping you feeling sluggish, bloated, or anxious then check out my new Learn to Love Your Healthy Self Nutrition Challenge! It’s a 28 day guided program (complete with online cooking classes, guided meditations, yoga classes, and Q & A sessions!!) to give you the tools & knowledge to make lasting habit changes to help improve your sleep, clear up your skin, improve digestion, & balance out your moods with just a little bit of time dedicated to your self care & nutrition every day.

You can check out all the information right here and if you sign up for this first round, you’ll get a special $50 discount! I’ve already got a great group excited to start Monday, June 15th. You can read about all the details here. 

As always, thank you for your support!

Have a fabulous day, stay safe, and take care of one another!

Cait xo