A Healthy Influence

It's Thursday, and you know what that means-- it's time for another writing prompt! This week's prompt says:

What is the most influential thing in your life right now? 

My one word answer to that question is health. That answer is threefold, though, as I am talking about my physical health, mental health, and emotional health.

1. As for my physical health, it is consuming me. The anniversary of my father's sudden death from a heart attack is this weekend. It has been six years. I want to protect myself from that happening to me. In order to do so, I am trying my hardest to create a healthy lifestyle for myself. I have started running again, and this time I have major goals to work toward so that I don't give up. I'm starting small with a 5K later this month, but Dan has agreed to run a half marathon with me before our wedding. I ran one in 2008, but it's been a while. I would LOVE to feel that way again, and I'm looking forward to running at least one with him before May of 2014. Who knows -- maybe we'll be able to do more than that! We also hope to run a full marathon someday, so that is my overall goal I am working toward. I am nowhere near that now, as I'm running 2.5 miles a day. Someday. In addition to workout out regularly, I am trying to establish a healthier eating plan. I am a vegetarian; I have been for nearly four years now. However, I still love cheese, and that is full of fat. It's definitely my favorite food, and I'm not going to stop eating it. Rather, I need to cut back on it. I need to try to only eat cheese in one meal a day and focus on eating whole foods (fresh vegetables and fruits, along with with nuts) for the rest of the day. Each morning for breakfast, I make a green smoothie. I include two HUGE handfuls of fresh spinach and a big handful of frozen mango (combined with rice milk and vanilla protein powder), and that starts my day off well! I eat those five days a week for breakfast, and I have been since November. They're delicious, and I feel GREAT after eating/drinking them.

2. My mental health is suffering, as you probably know from my recent posts ranting about my job. I vowed NOT to post negative things about work anymore, so I'll let you search for those posts if you choose. However, I will say this: picking up running again has eased a lot of what I was feeling. No, it's not perfect. Yes, I am still stressed out, and yes, I still have some bad days. BUT some days are better than others, which is more than I could say two weeks ago. My physical health getting better has a DIRECT RELATION with my mental health. I am becoming stronger all over, my motivation is coming back, and I just feel better overall.

3. When I think about my emotional health, I don't have too many issues. I have wonderful friends and family. I have two loving kitty cats who remind me that I am needed. I am marrying the man of my dreams, who just so happens to be tall, dark, and handsome. On an emotional level, I am doing alright! But since overall HEALTH is my focus here, I felt the need to mention it.

Writing that out put all of my thoughts into the words I needed them to become. This is not a short race for me. This is a journey. This is a lifestyle change. Please encourage me along the way, and remind me why I'm doing what I'm doing if I seem to forget!

Until tomorrow,

Janelle