I'm really feeling June this year. It's the month of sun, crisp summer evenings that take your breath away, and well would you believe it? It's the month I celebrate my birthday - my 20th birthday to be exact. Twenty is an odd age. It's not a biggen like an eighteenth or 21st, it's just a middleman, but it holds special significance for me and that is saying goodbye to my teenage years... scary!
I’ve spent most (well, all) my teenage years trying to be perfect: finding the definition of perfect, and seeking ways to reach ‘perfection’. But at a ripe old age of nineteen I’ve come to realise that it doesn’t exist. The only way to truly be happy with yourself is to be the best possible you, without expectations, pressure, or comparison to the Photoshopped women on glossy magazines. I’ve never truly been happy with myself in all honesty and I have been waiting to ‘grow to love myself’ or to suddenly feel comfortable in my own skin. But I’m only starting to appreciate that this takes time, work, and a journey that won’t necessarily have a destination, but a journey that I will learn to love because it’s mine.
Instead of striving for ‘perfection’ in my
twenties, I want to know how it feels to be at peace with my body and myself,
inside and out and to feel comfortable. This doesn’t come from starving myself,
losing weight and counting calories but appreciating what god gave me, looking
after it and that powerful, intricate machine within all of us. The machine
that supports you when you decide to strut around town in your highest heels, fills
you with bursts of energy when you run to catch the last bus from even opening
the cupboard to sneak a midnight snack. Our bodies are machines designed to
move, dance, live, laugh and love and the best way to start looking after it is
nutrition. Food is fuel and
the fuel you choose to enrich your body with I strongly believe effects the
start of our day, our mindset and how we conquer it.
This is something I’ve always known but
never really acknowledged. I’m the type of person to lose faith quite quickly
when it comes to dieting and health, but recently I’ve found some books that
have kick-started that fire in my belly, inspiring me to want more, work more
and most of all, understanding that I
deserve more. You do to. These books are:
The
Body Book by Cameron Diaz – Cameron is a kick ass woman. She looks like the most confident woman
on the planet, but after reading The Body Book, she herself has been through
highs and lows with her confidence and her body. She looks into the science
behind nutrition and how the foods we choose to eat can affect our bodies and
minds. This really made me sit back and think… dayum I really need to stop
ordering those extra fries and swapping full fat cola for diet (it’s just as
bad!), like now! Because sugar is everywhere, but Cameron has enriched my mind with
the foundations of nutrition more than I could ever imagine and has really
inspired me to think twice about the things I eat. And would you believe it,
I’ve even conquered my fizzy drink addiction!
Get
the Glow by Madeline Shaw – Madeline is a nutritionist for the stars, a food blogger and has
made regular appearances in Tanya Burr’s vlogs as her yoga pal. She’s so lovely
and really has that natural ‘glow’ that so many of us are trying to achieve
through throwing our cash at makeup counters. But her book ‘Get the Glow’ is
full of nutritious, delicious, amazing recipes designed to ignite that inner
glow that will show in your skin and leave your body feeling top notch. Her
six-week programme is really what inspired me as she shares lots of healthy
tips and positive affirmations to keep me motivated!
Come and join me on my journey! Follow me on Bloglovin HERE so we can stay connected! : -) xxx
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