Chapter 3: Striking the balance with health 💪🏼

Mar 24, 2024

Hello, bub!

How have you been? I truly hope you’ve had a good week. I had quite an eventful week! I finally got my vision corrected guys. I’ve been wearing glasses since I was very young and have always been slightly afraid of getting my LASIK done. All my friends around me got it done years ago. But somehow I wasn’t ready you know?

So just this year, I decided that I was going to get rid of my glasses and put an end to this blurry vision that I had for so long now. So, I’m healing from my LASIK surgery as you read this and it’s going well so far!

I can’t believe I can see the tiniest detail. It feels so good. Ah, the things we take for granted!

Like being able to move your body, seeing, hearing, eating well, smiling… such blessings!

Just because I had it done does not mean you should get it done too. Take the time to fully get to a place where you’re ready to undergo this tiny surgery. It took me 10 + years after my friends got it. I just knew my time would come, and it did.

What’s on my mind?💭

Today, I want to touch upon health for a bit because I receive a lot of messages from you about struggling to find 'motivation' to work out or exercise.

I don’t think this is a challenge for me because I have been working out since my early 20s and fell in love with movement very early on. I just love lifting weights, doing my TRX moves, and engaging in any activity that challenges my stamina and strength. I love how my body feels afterward (thanks to the endorphins), and I always find my way back to the gym to chase that feeling.

It can be a bit tricky to realize this on your own, but if you reflect on your weekends or average days and ask yourself, "What did I do to improve my health today?" and if you're struggling to find an answer, it’s time to change course.

We end up doing a lot in our 20s, and sometimes work, family or even our social lives take priority, but health is often the first thing that gets neglected. Before you realize it, years have gone by with just the bare minimum done to guarantee better health for your future self.

There are two things I am grateful for being disciplined about - movement and good nutrition, and I want you to arrive at this place in your life someday too.

You and I are only growing older from here on out, and there’s no going back.

If you had to start today, it doesn’t have to be intense functional training from day one.

It can be taking a 1-hour walk around your building, a 1-hour dance session, or running - whatever suits you, as long as you are 'moving' your body dedicatedly every single day. The key to showing up every day is to find movement you enjoy.

If this seems like a lot of commitment, dial back and see what one hour in your day you are currently spending without getting anything in return for your time. It could be the Netflix binge-watch, the doom scrolling on social media, or just simply procrastinating.

We’ve all been there, but time is money. What you put out, you get back.

The good thing about inculcating discipline is that it shows up for you on the day’s motivation doesn't. Nobody can be motivated 365 days a year, not even me. But some things must be done anyway.

Discipline is like a promise you make to yourself, and you must try to honor that promise.

So no matter how you’re feeling at that moment, showing up to the gym or exercising every alternate day at, say, 10 am is something you just have to do. Putting your feelings aside, you still keep that promise to yourself.

It’s difficult for the first 10 days, but after that, you will love it.

It’s the smallest changes in your habits that lead to the best outcomes.

Some other habits that have helped me keep my health and energy levels in check:

Going off alcohol - I was never a heavy drinker, to begin with, but I find myself avoiding even the odd glass of wine or cocktail because once I truly learned what it does to our cognitive function, I couldn't get past it and still drink. Knowledge is power. In the truest sense possible. (Also, cutting off alcohol eliminated any excuse for not showing up the next morning in the gym).
Being aware of my sugar intake - We can get by eating a lot of hidden sugar in packaged foods, fried food, our weekly dinners outside, etc. Take a step back and notice how your body feels after that meal. If you’re experiencing sudden energy crashes, brain fog, or just sluggishness all day - it can be a good sign to evaluate your sugar intake. It was game-changing for me to do this, and once I was aware, it also became easier to reduce it because I did not want to feel that way again.

I’ve never been stronger than I am today; I’m 31 years old, 10 months postpartum, and I lift weights like I never have before. I’ve gained this unreal strength somehow, and I’m loving it.

If you’re still struggling to find your WHY, ask yourself what are some activities you would like to be doing in your 30s, 40s, or 50s?🤸🏽

Some answers are:

I want to be able to lift and play with my kid(s) all day long.
I want to age gracefully and be able to hold my grandkids someday.
I want to be able to hike with my best friend or partner.
I don’t want to be in a wheelchair or suffer severe health problems as I grow old.
I want to travel and see the world.
I want to be able to wear my favorite clothes.

Think about your WHY.

Weight training allowed me to bounce back from my pregnancy body way faster, and for the days I cannot seem to take myself to the gym, I go and see myself in the mirror and how far my body has taken me. From pregnancy to birth to today, it deserves to be taken care of

You, me, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Usain Bolt... all of us get 24 hours in a day.
How are you choosing to spend yours?

If you’re wondering about an easy way to be healthier 🥗

Here’s a podcast recommendation for you:

Scientist REVEALS Shocking Sugar Research That Changes EVERYTHING (Hacks That HEAL!)

My takeaways from this podcast:

These are such actionable, easy steps you can do for yourself 🙌🏽

You have to eat your meal in the correct order to avoid a glucose spike
You don’t have to cut out your favorite desserts to be healthy, just eat them in the right order.
Your breakfast should always be Savory and not sweet.
Don't juice your fruits. You are throwing away all the fiber. Eat them as is.
If you eat your sugary foods first, it leads to a huge glucose spike a massive energy crash, and hunger cravings, it overtime also leads to inflammation in the body, aging faster, and making you gain weight.

A meal I enjoyed this week🍜

Where: Home🏠

I had these amazing Gochujang noodles that my mum made! Ugh, it was SO GOOD!

You could add tofu, paneer, egg, or seafood. A bunch of veggies would also be so delicious. It’s an easy way to have a balanced meal with good carbs, protein, fiber and enjoy it ✨

The recipe will be coming soon on my mum's YouTube channel - Jenskitchen

Bible verse of the week

Matthew 22:39 Love your neighbor as yourself

Weekly Finds 🔎

Movies🎥: Damsel. Light watch, and perfect if you enjoy adventure and fantasy as genres. I love that despite having a princess, this movie breaks away from the typical storyline of a prince coming and rescuing her.
Purchases🛍️: This is how you know you have become a mother because my purchase of the week is this INCREDIBLE scrub. It makes you want to clean and scrub surfaces, so easy to maintain and use!
Song🎧: We can’t be friends - Ariana Grande