I’m here to talk to you today about roadblocks on the journey to health. They happen, they suck, and they’re basically inevitable. But, we have two choices: either we can succumb to them, thereby allowing them to have control over us, or we can maintain the power over our own bodies and choose to push through and rise above them. Let’s face it: no one likes feeling powerless. We like to know that we are the decision makers when it comes to what we put into our bodies, when and how we exercise, and how well we take care of ourselves (and giving in to a constant stream of junk food is NOT taking good care of ourselves). Well, duh… we all knew that. But the question is, how exactly do we get around these obstacles?

Perhaps your obstacle today is that you just can’t seem to start eating healthily; something always comes up that involves bad food, so you think, why bother? Or maybe, you’ve been doing so well up until now, and suddenly, you lack all motivation and figure, what’s the point? Or, maybe you started off losing weight steadily, and now you’ve reached a plateau of sorts and can’t seem to get past it.

No matter what your roadblock, just remember that you, and only you, are the deciding factor. You have the power to choose what to put into your body; with each meal or snack, you are choosing to either build health or build disease. How crazy is that?! It is for you and only you to decide which to build in your body. When it comes to exercise or simply taking care of your wellbeing (by taking baths, reading a book, getting enough sleep, relaxing…), it’s up to you, baby!

Now that we’ve established WHO is in charge of your health, let’s talk about WHY we’re doing this in the first place. Why eat almonds as a snack instead of chocolate? Why apples instead of snack packs? And why the heck exercise?! Well, every cell in our body is made up of what we give it; vitamins, minerals, good fats, complex carbs, and protein build healthy bodies and protect us from disease. On the other hand, sugar, refined fats and oils, simple carbs, and junk food in general build sick bodies and encourage disease. Please remember that. It should be motivation enough to help you choose the healthy road. Exercise brings all those lovely nutrients to our cells and expels waste. It oxygenates our body, strengthens our bones (yup, it’s not just our muscles that get stronger), keeps us at a healthy weight, and protects against a myriad of health conditions. Yum… exercise sounds so delicious when you think of it like that, doesn’t it? And so do apples.

So we know WHAT to do (eat those good foods, throw the other ones away, get active)… but HOW? How, when a roadblock arises, do we push past it and continue running (or walking, skipping, rolling… whatever works for you) down the healthy path? At the risk of sounding like a running shoe, I will say it anyway: Just Do It. Simply decide that you’re now taking hold of the reins of your life, thank-you-very-much chocolate cake, all-dressed chips, and couch, and you’re choosing health.

WHEN do we decide to regain control of our bodies and kick that roadblock in the you-know-what? How does right about now sound? I mean, why wait? Your life full of good health, happiness, and empowerment awaits. So get goin’!