Ok, so what is Healthy Herd?

This will be a weekly article and may serve as a piece of advice for your everyday life.

Who am I, you ask?

I am a sophomore applying for the dietetics professional program with hopes of becoming a dietitian when I am finished. Overall my passion is to help clear up some of our society’s views on health.

Additionally, I am finishing up a minor in psychology and plan to study abroad in Europe my senior year to expand my knowledge across cultures. I’m writing these articles to talk to you about food/exercise trends and overall subjects that encompass a person’s health.

Now keep in mind, one of the first things someone has to realize is that each “food trend” or diet doesn’t work for everyone.

For example: All of your super cool friends are doing this new food trend and they say it’s so awesome and they’ve lost all this weight. So you try it, expecting you will too. But you don’t. And you’re a little confused. Why isn’t it working for you?

Don’t be discouraged; it just means that your body ticks on a different clock than your friends. There is something else out there that works better for you. So take these various articles with a grain of salt — some of them might be a good fit for you, while others might not.

Now how would you define health?

Health is something people think they understand, but it’s wonky because everyone has a different definition of “healthy.”

Well, if you’re down with Webster, health is defined as “a state of being free from illness or injury.” However, there’s a lot more to be pondered before you’re considered healthy. Social, psychological, economic and spiritual aspects all play a part in your wellbeing, but we won’t delve too deeply into those subjects today.

It never hurts to take a moment to humbly consider your health as a whole and maybe admit to yourself that some things can be improved in your life. It could be something big that’s been weighing on your shoulders, or maybe something small that you’ve been putting off.

One last thing to keep in mind — even the most physically fit muscle jockey, yoga doin’ or Zen master likely have their own personal struggles to deal with, even if it doesn’t seem like it on the outside. So don’t worry about comparing yourself to others, because you don’t know their situation — it is better to focus on your own health and make your life the best it can be.