Happy International Self-Care Day! International Self-Care Day is celebrated on July 24th every year as the culmination of Self-Care Month (June 24 – July 24). Self-care is an incredibly important component of overall health and wellness, which is why awareness is key.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines self-care as “individuals, families and communities’ promoting and maintaining their own health, preventing disease, and coping with illness and disability, with or without the support of a health worker”. In simpler terms, self-care is your ability to make decisions that promote your own health without help from others. It enables you to take charge of your own health and figure out what you need in order to be the healthiest, happiest version of yourself. Self-care is going to look different for everybody which is no surprise seeing that health in general is extremely individualized, and the needs of one person often vary significantly from another.
So how is self-care related to nutrition? At first, some might consider self-care to be little things like taking time out of your day to have a bath, read a book, go for a walk or have a glass of wine in the evening. These are all great examples of self-care, but the actual impacts of these habits might go much farther than you would expect. Additionally, self-care encompasses a much broader area of health and health promotion that can have long-lasting effects.
There are multiple aspects that make up a holistic view of health including financial, physical, mental, social, and emotional health. One of the neat characteristics of nutrition is that it is related to all of these health dimensions in one way or another. The old saying “you are what you eat” is certainly accurate when it comes to food and health! Being conscientious about the food you choose to put in your body is one of the biggest ways that you can take care of yourself. A great way to do this is to eat mindfully, asking yourself what is it that my body is craving and how do I balance that with what I need for my health? Learning how to eat intuitively and balance both healthy foods with foods that bring you joy is a huge win for your overall health and well-being. After all, life is too short to deprive yourself of the foods you love, so take care of yourself physically but also take care of yourself mentally and eat the chocolate cake if that’s what your body wants. “Everything in moderation” is a great motto to live by in this regard.
Physical activity is another important act of self-care. Taking care of your body is one of the best gifts you can give yourself to improve your quality of life. Living a physically active lifestyle doesn’t have to look like going to the gym and running or lifting weights 5 times a week either. It could be as simple as doing yoga on a Saturday morning with friends (yay for social interaction and well-being!) or going for a walk with your partner, or trying a new workout class just because it sounds fun and you’ve always wanted to. Any form of movement is a win, especially if it’s one that appeals to you. So listen to your body and take care of it and in return it will take care of you.
Finally, as with any aspect of health, dietitians have a role to play in self-care. So what is that role? For starters, dietitians have the ability to help you with all of the things mentioned in the above paragraph. Dietitians can help you figure out how to eat a balanced and intuitive diet that fits your own personal health needs. Additionally, dietitians can provide you with evidence-based information to empower you to make informed decisions regarding your health. And finally, dietitians will be your cheerleader in encouraging you to make healthy decisions that work for you and your lifestyle. If you would like to find out more about how a dietitian can help you, feel free to book in with one of our dietitians at For the Love of Food today.
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