Keep your friends close and your healthy friends even closer. Olivia, our Health Raiser of the Week, surrounds herself with people – like her entrepreneurial aunt – who make smart, holistic choices. It’s not always easy taking time to take care of your body, mind and spirit, but this health-raiser stresses the importance and impact your choices have. Want to give up meat? You can do it. Want to start your own yoga studio? You can do that, too! Olivia’s message may inspire you…
What does health mean to you?
Health means physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. It means feeling good and making positive choices to lead the best life I can lead.
What inspired you to start living a healthy life?
Health was not a huge part of my life until college, when I became a vegetarian. While figuring out how to avoid meat, I learned how to find nutrition from plant-based sources, which naturally led to incorporating more healthy practices into my life. And then I realized that eating well and being active just made me feel better in my day-to-day life, in addition to supporting my long-term well-being.
What are three things you do to stay healthy?
I cook and eat at home when I can, find fun ways to keep active and surround myself (as much as possible!) with people who have similar goals.
What is one motivational quote that you live by?
“The only bad workout is the one that didn’t happen.”
If you were stranded on a desert island , which Vitacost product could you not live without?
This is so hard! I’d probably like to have Yogi tea, though. I drink tea all day long and I love the Yogi brand teas! Or maybe coconut oil. Coconut oil would be helpful on a desert island – it has so many uses!
What advice do you have for someone who is trying to live healthier?
For me, the trick is to set short, attainable goals. It’s easier to make changes if I can integrate them into my life gradually. For instance, I find saying things like, “I’m not going to eat French fries / potato chips / baked goods this week” yields better results than saying, “I’m never eating them again!” Achieving a short-term goal like this makes me feel motivated to accomplish more. Maybe I won’t eat potato chips the next week either.
Is there a role model that you look up to?
My aunt recently became a yoga teacher and opened her own studio. I love that a woman with a husband and three kids can focus some attention on herself and make positive changes in her life. It doesn’t matter how busy you are or at what point you are in life, you can make your health a priority!