Are we actually getting healthier, or are we just getting better at buying into the next trend?

I’ve been noticing something lately in the wellness world, and I can’t help but shake my head a little.

Everywhere you look, someone is talking about the latest way they’ve healed their body.

An elimination diet. A detox. A supplement protocol. A complete lifestyle overhaul.

And listen, I’m all for people feeling better.

But what fascinates me is how often the message starts with everything we supposedly need to eliminate from our lives, only to eventually circle back to being able to eat whatever we want again.

So what exactly was the lesson?

Was it that certain foods were the problem? Was it that our bodies needed time? Was it that we made several changes at once and aren’t entirely sure which one helped?

Or is it possible that sometimes we’re so eager to find an answer that we turn one person’s experience into a universal solution?

Because one minute we’re being told to eliminate everything, and the next we’re celebrating being able to eat everything again.

Maybe the goal should have been balance all along.

Now, I’m not dismissing anyone’s experience. There are legitimate reasons to eliminate certain foods, and some people genuinely benefit from doing so.

But somewhere along the way, wellness became less about understanding our individual bodies and more about following whatever the latest trend tells us to do.

And conveniently, there’s often something being sold along the way.

Funny how that works. 😂

When Did Food Become the Enemy?

Seriously, when did eating become so complicated?

One week carbohydrates are the enemy. The next week they’re essential.

Eggs are good. Eggs are bad. Wait, eggs are good again.

Fruit has too much sugar. Dairy is inflammatory. Gluten is apparently responsible for every ailment known to mankind.

And don’t even get me started on the number of people who suddenly believe they have a gut problem because someone on Instagram told them their bloating isn’t normal.

Newsflash: Sometimes bodies do body things.

That doesn’t mean we should ignore persistent symptoms. It means we should stop assuming every normal bodily function requires a diagnosis, a detox, or a $79 supplement.

Do food allergies, intolerances, and legitimate gastrointestinal conditions exist? Absolutely.

Can elimination diets be useful when medically appropriate? Of course.

But eliminating half the grocery store doesn’t automatically mean you’re healthier.

And feeling better after changing your diet doesn’t necessarily prove that every food you eliminated was causing inflammation.

Sometimes you’ve changed your overall eating habits. Sometimes symptoms fluctuate. Sometimes you’ve actually identified a trigger.

But feeling better isn’t the same thing as proving a diagnosis.

And someone’s personal experience isn’t automatically a prescription for everyone else.

The Wellness Industry Has a Consistency Problem

Here’s where I really start scratching my head.

We live in a world where wellness advice seems to change faster than the weather in Michigan.

One minute we’re being told to cut something out completely.

The next minute there’s a new study, a new trend, a new influencer, or a new product promising the exact opposite.

And somehow we’re supposed to keep up?

No wonder people are confused.

Listen, I own a fitness business.

I believe in movement. I believe in nutrition. I believe in taking care of the body we’ve been given.

But I also believe in birthday cake.

I believe in pizza with my kids.

I believe in enjoying food without needing to research whether I’m destroying my gut microbiome.

And as someone who runs marathons, I can promise you that carbohydrates are not my enemy.

They’re fuel.

I’ve learned that eating less isn’t always the answer.

Sometimes the answer is eating MORE.

Sometimes the answer is resting.

Sometimes it’s recognizing that our bodies are asking for something rather than assuming they’re doing something wrong.

I believe health should give us more freedom, not less.

Your Body Isn’t a Problem That Needs to Be Marketed Back to You

I think women, especially mothers, are particularly vulnerable to these messages.

We’re tired.

We’re juggling families, careers, relationships, and responsibilities.

Our bodies change. Our hormones fluctuate. Sometimes we don’t feel our best.

And then someone comes along and tells us that everything we’re experiencing can be fixed if we just eliminate enough foods, buy the right supplements, or follow their special protocol.

It’s appealing because it offers an answer.

And sometimes, when you’re exhausted or frustrated and nobody seems to be listening to your concerns, an answer feels like exactly what you’ve been searching for.

I understand that.

I’ve experienced the frustration of wanting to better understand my own body and feeling like getting answers wasn’t as simple as it should be.

But not every uncomfortable symptom has a simple explanation.

And not every solution comes in a package with an affiliate link.

We deserve information that helps us make informed decisions, not messaging that makes us afraid of our own bodies.

The More You Know, the More You Grow

Here’s something else I’ve come to appreciate.

Knowledge is powerful.

But not necessarily the kind of knowledge that comes from watching a 30-second reel telling you that everything you’re eating is slowly destroying your body.

I’m talking about actually getting to know yourself.

Get appropriate bloodwork when your symptoms, medical history, or preventive care needs warrant it.

Ask questions about your results.

Advocate for yourself when something doesn’t feel right.

Use your fitness tracker to learn about your activity, recovery, sleep, and training patterns.

But remember, those numbers are tools, not a measure of your worth.

Go to therapy.

Find a support group.

Surround yourself with people who encourage you to grow, who challenge your thinking, and who support you through the uncomfortable parts of life.

Learn about nutrition.

Learn about movement.

Learn about mental health.

Learn how stress can affect your body.

And perhaps most importantly, learn to recognize the difference between someone educating you and someone trying to sell you something.

Because health isn’t just about what you’re putting into your body.

It’s also about what you’re carrying emotionally.

It’s about the relationships you’re maintaining, the boundaries you’re setting, the sleep you’re getting, and the support you’re willing to accept.

And no, I’m not suggesting that therapy, bloodwork, a fitness tracker, or a support group is going to magically fix everything either.

I’m suggesting that we have so many ways to better understand ourselves, and we should be willing to explore them thoughtfully.

The goal isn’t to collect more data so we can find more things wrong with ourselves. The goal is to use what we learn to take better care of ourselves.

What Running, Recovery, and Motherhood Have Taught Me

I can tell you that running has taught me things about my body that no elimination diet ever could.

I’ve learned how to push myself.

I’ve learned how to rest.

I’ve learned that fueling properly matters just as much as the miles I’m putting in.

And I’ve learned that my body is capable of far more than I sometimes give it credit for.

Recovery has taught me something equally important.

I cannot control everything.

I cannot fix everything.

And I certainly cannot find peace by obsessing over every little thing that might go wrong.

Recovery has taught me to look inward.

To be honest with myself.

To seek support.

To recognize unhealthy patterns.

To accept what I cannot change while taking responsibility for the things I can.

And motherhood?

Well, motherhood has taught me that sometimes the healthiest thing I can do is stop trying to make everything perfect.

Sometimes it’s sitting down and eating dinner with my kids.

Sometimes it’s choosing sleep over another workout.

Sometimes it’s recognizing that being present matters more than checking every box on a wellness checklist.

And sometimes it’s eating a piece of cake without giving it a second thought.

None of these experiences has given me all the answers.

But they’ve taught me to ask better questions.

Maybe Health Isn’t Supposed to Be So Complicated

You know what I’ve learned through fitness, running, motherhood, recovery, and life?

Consistency matters.

Eating enough matters.

Moving your body matters.

Sleeping matters.

Managing stress matters.

Having people you can lean on matters.

And having a healthy relationship with food matters.

There’s room for intentional nutrition and a piece of cake.

There’s room for taking your health seriously and enjoying your life.

There’s room for science, individual needs, and common sense.

We don’t have to turn every meal into a moral decision.

We don’t have to fear every ingredient we can’t pronounce.

We don’t have to assume that every symptom means our bodies are failing us.

And we certainly don’t have to purchase someone else’s version of wellness to be healthy.

I’m not saying we should ignore our bodies or stop asking questions.

Quite the opposite.

Ask MORE questions.

Learn MORE.

Advocate for yourself MORE.

But be mindful of where your information is coming from, who benefits from the message, and whether the advice is actually appropriate for you.

Because the more you know about yourself, the less likely you are to blindly follow someone else’s idea of what healthy should look like.

And maybe the healthiest thing we can do is stop allowing the wellness industry to convince us that we’re constantly in need of fixing.

Choose Your Hard

And here’s the thing I keep coming back to.

None of this is EASY.

Taking care of yourself isn’t always easy.

Making time to move your body isn’t easy.

Learning how to properly fuel yourself isn’t easy.

Going to therapy and facing the parts of yourself you’d rather avoid isn’t easy.

Recovery isn’t easy.

Motherhood isn’t easy.

Quitting an addiction is not easy.

Setting boundaries, asking questions, advocating for yourself, and making changes that actually last?

None of it is easy.

But neither is living in a constant cycle of restriction, frustration, confusion, and starting over every Monday.

Neither is spending your life convinced that something is wrong with you because someone on the internet told you so.

And neither is chasing the next quick fix, hoping this will finally be the thing that changes everything.

Choose your hard.

Choose the hard that teaches you something.

Choose the hard that helps you grow.

Choose the hard that builds confidence instead of fear.

Choose the hard that allows you to look back six months, a year, or five years from now and recognize just how far you’ve come.

Because I’ve learned that the things that have changed my life the most weren’t necessarily the easiest.

They required consistency. Patience. Honesty. Support. And a willingness to keep showing up, even when I didn’t feel like it.

And no, I’m not suggesting we need to make life harder than it already is. There’s no prize for suffering unnecessarily.

I’m saying that if we’re going to put effort into something, let’s put it into building a life we actually enjoy living.

I don’t want to spend my life eliminating everything that might hurt me. I want to spend my life learning what helps me live fully.

And if that includes a piece of birthday cake, pizza with my kids, a whole lot of carbohydrates before my next marathon, or a bag of Albanese gummy worms?

I’m good with that.

Because life’s too short to be afraid of a gummy worm. It’s a moderation thing. 😉

And it’s certainly too short to spend it chasing someone else’s definition of healthy.

Choose your hard. But make sure it’s leading you toward a life you actually want to live.

Food for thought. Pun absolutely intended. ❤️

God is good!