If your active lifestyle has you feeling more exhausted than energetic, you might be caught in a cycle of toxic overachievement.
In a world where wellness is often more about perception on social media than actual whole body health, it’s easy to forget that an active lifestyle takes more than food and gym pics. The pressure to constantly maintain a specific image or to crush your fitness goals can create a trap that is all too easy to fall into. While physical appearance and athletic achievement can be great motivators, they can also trick you into overdoing it. Striving for the perfect active lifestyle can lead to physical burnout, stress, and most importantly, you can actually do damage to your body.
Walking the fine line between healthy living and toxic overachievement is a delicate balance. In this blog we will look at some warning signs for toxic and excessive health efforts, and how to support your active lifestyle naturally.
Key Takeaways:
- An active lifestyle has to be balanced with rest and proper nutrition.
- Active bodies need more nutrients than you can get with diet alone.
- Natural supplementation is crucial for the body and mind to avoid burnout.
The Toxic Side of a Healthy Lifestyle
To many health-conscious people, a healthy lifestyle means strict diets, intense exercise regimens, and closely monitoring their macros and calories. But it doesn’t end there; depending on which influencer you watch or which articles you read, you may also be obsessing over your protein goals or carbs. Maybe you’re worrying over your cholesterol, sodium, or sugar intake.
When we begin to examine how much time and energy a perfect healthy lifestyle takes, it can be overwhelming. The drive to achieve perfection can actually be harmful if not handled with balance.
The Pressure of Perfection
Social media is a big part of modern life and it’s here to stay. As fitness “experts” weigh in with contradicting promises of perfect bodies and perfect health, it’s often impossible to know who is right and who is wrong.
Perfectionism is an impossible goal to sustain, and constantly striving for it causes deep anxiety and stress, creating an unhealthy relationship with our bodies and food. This can lead to a cycle of fad diets and binge eating, coupled with punishing exercise routines.
Exercise Burnout
Although exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, any athlete can tell you that too much can be detrimental, particularly when you aren’t replenishing your resources. Working out constantly can cause fatigue, injuries, and muscle exhaustion. If you feel like your performance is dwindling no matter how many hours you spend at the gym, it’s time to reconsider your routine.
An active body needs to be charged, just like your phone. When you use it too much without supplementing with the correct nutrients, you risk compromising your health as well as your performance. A natural, whole-food multivitamin and multimineral like Comprehensive Core is one of the best and easiest ways to support your whole body, down to the cellular level, so you can train in the best conditions possible.
Balance is key. Don’t overtrain, and ensure you are giving your active body the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients it needs.
Extreme Diets
Every body is different, and different diets work for different people. Unfortunately, waffling between extreme diets, fasting, or detox fads can cause you to develop an unhealthy obsession with food.
When you are constantly obsessing over meals, it creates an unsustainable relationship between your body and the nutrients you consume. The psychological distress of worrying about your diet can result in a poor metabolism and eventual deficiencies as the yo-yo effect takes its toll on your system. It’s important to remember that healthy eating is about balance, and supplementation is a vital part of ensuring your body gets what it needs.
Supplementing with a natural, whole-food multivitamin like Comprehensive Core also helps curb cravings, helping you to meet your dietary goals.
The “Ideal Body” Myth
Modern society is so focused on perfection and an unrealistic standard of beauty. Just a quick glance at social media is enough to lead to feelings of inadequacy and poor self image.
Remember… every body is beautiful in its own way. Focusing on how you feel versus how you look is the first step in ensuring that your wellness journey lasts a lifetime. If you look fantastic, but feel exhausted and hungry, then you aren’t living a truly healthy life.
Your goal should be whole-body health. That means feeling good, having lots of energy, and leading an enjoyable, active life.
Comprehensive Core is designed to help you do just that. With powerful, natural ingredients and full-spectrum vitamins and minerals (with NO synthetics, ever!) Comprehensive Core contains everything you need to support your active lifestyle.
What are some other ways to support an active lifestyle naturally?
A toxic health routine isn’t sustainable long-term. Your wellness journey should last a lifetime, so here are a few simple tips to support your healthy lifestyle naturally.
- Balanced Nutrition – A nutritious diet is the cornerstone of a truly healthy lifestyle. Eating enough in a balanced diet is just as important as not eating too much. In order to function properly, you should consume enough:
- Complex Carbs – These are a main source of energy for your muscles and your brain. Complex carbs like whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes provide all-day energy. They support muscle recovery and help balance your blood sugar.
- Healthy Fats – Too often we avoid fats in our diets completely, but this is a mistake. Omega-3 Fatty Acids are incredibly important for recovery, physical activity, and cognitive function, but our bodies can’t make them on their own. We have to get them from outside sources like fatty fish, or plant-based omega-3 supplements like Algal Omega.
- Protein – Healthy proteins are the building blocks for muscle and tissue. It’s absolutely essential for anyone engaging in physical activity regularly. Lean meats, fish, and eggs are all great options, but for those of you living a plant-based lifestyle, finding high protein sources can be more challenging. Mother Earth Labs Veggie Protein packs 22g of plant protein per serving, complete with essential amino acids and targeted enzymes for easy digestion.
- Hydration – Electrolytes are an often overlooked but absolutely vital part of your exercise routine. When you exert yourself, you lose minerals, and water alone isn’t enough to replenish them. Plus, if you are drinking purified water, you may not realize that it’s been de-mineralized – it has no electrolytes. Choosing a natural, full-spectrum electrolyte formula like SportActive by Mother Earth Labs will offer you the hydration you need, with no added chemicals or sugars.
- Supplementation – Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients that you simply cannot afford to overlook. Active bodies are particularly at risk for vitamin and mineral depletion. Here are a few essential vitamins and minerals to support your active body.
- Vitamin B complex – B vitamins are one of the most important nutrients you need for energy and stamina. If you’re taking a synthetic B-complex, however, it could be stealing your energy! Most B vitamins are fake, and your body can’t process them without a complicated conversion process… which makes you tired. Be sure you are taking real, natural B vitamins for best results, like the ones found in Comprehensive Core. Read more about the importance of B vitamins here.
- Magnesium – There are seven different types of magnesium, and your active body needs them all. Magnesium is crucial for muscle relaxation and recovery, and most of us are deficient. Magnesium can be found in leafy greens, nuts, and seeds, but supplementing is recommended. Magnesium ER has all seven forms of magnesium in ideal doses and is designed to release as you need it. Read more here.
- Vitamin D – It is almost impossible to get enough vitamin D from food alone, so be sure to schedule time to exercise outdoors and supplement as needed. Vitamin D is important for bone health and your immune system, and is also instrumental in magnesium absorption. Comprehensive Core is a great source of additional vitamin D, as well as a host of other vitamins, minerals, and whole food nutrients so you can feel your best.
- Rest and Recovery – We’ve all said it to ourselves at one time or another: “No pain, no gain.” It’s a great motivational phrase, but it’s equally as important to remember that rest and recovery are a key factor in your long-term success.
- Sleep – Getting enough sleep is crucial to feeling energized and ready to face another day. Seven to nine hours of sleep is best, because your body repairs itself at night while you are resting. If you struggle falling asleep, or your mind is racing, try a natural herbal sleep supplement like Good Nite, which can help reset your circadian rhythms.
- Recovery Days – Our society is very production-focused, so it may feel strange to take days off from the gym. Try to think of recovery days as being just as productive as workout days, because these are the days you are allowing your system to rebuild itself. It may feel like you’re slacking off, but trust us, your body is working hard behind the scenes.
- Mindful Movement – You don’t always have to be pushing your body aggressively to be active or healthy. Slow, mindful movements like yoga, tai chi, or walking can be equally supportive to your overall well-being. If you can’t bring yourself to spend an hour hitting the gym, maybe your body is telling you that it needs a gentler workout that day. Listen to your body and find movement in ways that promote mental stability.
Conclusion
Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be toxic.
Whole body health takes the physical and mental aspects of your whole self into account. Find balance in your routine, exercise with empathy for your body, and be mindful of your nutrition.
Mother Earth Labs is here to support your health conscious efforts with a wide range of supplements, from electrolytes and protein to multivitamins and magnesium.
