Good morning, friends!
I started my day with a random, but delicious breakfast: an egg, a banana, a Dr. Praeger’s Sweet Potato Pancake, and a glass of iced coffee mixed with Ensure, soy milk, and vanilla protein powder.
Now that I can pretty much eat normally again (I’m still avoiding gluten, but not 100%), I’m really trying to put some thought into what I consume. I’m focusing on the overall nutrition of my food as opposed to calories or fat. Colitis was such a wake up call with regard to how I treat and fuel my body. I never want to be that sick again.
Feel Great Weight
Last week, when I told you guys about my recent colitis diagnosis and flare-up, someone asked me whether I still considered myself a healthy living blogger. My response was short and simple: Yes, I’m still a healthy living blogger. See what else I had to say about the subject: How Colitis Is Changing My Definition of Healthy Living
Question of the Day
If a blogger has a chronic condition or illness, do you still consider them a āhealthy livingāĀ blogger? Why or why not?
149 Comments
Yes, of course they’re still a healthy living blogger. To me, a healthy living blogger is someone who tries to make the best of what they have. Whether you have a disorder/disease or not, you try to make it work for you. You definitely are a healthy living blogger!! While the experience has been terrible for you, you can help others with this condition…we never know what will happen in the future & may have to deal with this too. Thank you for everything you do & I hope you are feeling 100% soon!
Wow someone asked that?! Way to kick a (healthy-living) blogger while she’s down, yo.
of course! I think what makes healthy living bloggers so admirable is reading about how they dodge the obstacles of live to still live healthily.
Seems like a silly question. I have chronic acid reflux and I would definitely say I live a healthy lifestyle. “Healthy” doesn’t mean you never get sick. It means you are trying to do what is best for your body so you can live life to the fullest!
If you have experienced symptoms and only complained, sat around, and did nothing to help with the symptoms perhaps the question would have been valid.
The fact that you sought out the advice of a doctor, listened to others who had similar experiences and tried new things you had never done before such as limiting dairy and gluten showed you were committed to healthy living even if it meant changing your typical.
Healthy is different for everyone and those with chronic illnesses or injuries aren’t excluded…in fact they often work harder to maintain balance with daily life health and their illnesses.
OF COURSE you’re still a healthy living blogger! In fact, I suspect you’ll be an even better one.
Being healthy is about way more than just being lucky. And sometimes, even people with a perfect lifestyle get unlucky and develop an illness. But it’s that realization that our health is something that is so easy to take for granted, something that can be taken away, and something that we need to work on constantly (while having fun, of course!). After going through a health crisis yourself, Tina, I’m sure you’ll be able to relate to all of that on a much deeper level. And that will give you a much more interesting, personal connection with the people who read your blog and the people who seek your advice. In fact, judging from the number of comments you received from people who’d been going through similar stuff, when you first came out publicly with your story, you’ve got a lot of readers whose health isn’t “perfect”…but are looking to optimize their lifestyles nonetheless (or perhaps because of that).
Props to you, babe, you’re doing fine!
That question gets me kind of fired up. Just because you’ve been faced with a situation that’s compromised your health, doesn’t take away from the fact that you’re an individual who prizes healthy living and takes steps towards being as healthy as possible within the confines of your circumstances – whether that means colitis, a running injury, a cold, or an illness/ injury free state. Having colitis might might affect the way you *approach* healthy living, but doens’t remove you from the healthy living sphere. I say rock on with your bad healthy livin’ self. Good healthy livin’ self. You know what I mean. š
i have several illnesses and still consider myself to be living a “healthy living.” in my opinion, it makes me MORE of an advocate for healthy living.
Wow…seems like a bit of a silly question to me, as you are indeed a healthy living blogger in my eyes. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have ailments (either off and on, or a chronic condition) and they can certainly be considered healthy as they strive to live with what they have. (does that make sense??) Take care Tina.
I think focusing on the overall nutrition of your food is the best way to do it! Rather than looking at how much calcium, how many grams of fat, etc etc it’s nice to look at a banana for being a banana and an egg as an egg š
Every one of us, at some point in our life, will have a health issue. Healthy living is not just about being healthy all the time, it’s also about how we deal with the issues that come up. Your experience with colitis will help A LOT of people!
So glad you’re feeling better!
Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t guarantee that you will be healthy or free from illness or disease. So yes I think someone with a chronic illness can definitely be a healthy living blogger… in fact, I think it’s even more inspiring to read about someone who is able to lead a healthy lifestyle even in the face of sickness.
@Christine @ Burning It Off:
I agree! Tina, you are even more inspiring because it’s helpful to see what you do to push through and overcome an obstacle like this! And now I’m thinking about trying some gluten free stuff just to get use to the taste in case something like this happens to me! You are totally a healthy-living-blogger!
I’m glad to see that some people are as irritated by this question as I am. Ridiculous. Of course you are who you were before your diagnosis. I am so glad to see how you’ve not only dealt with it, but risen above it.
I can’t believe someone actually asked that question. I would expect you to be even more aware of what you put in your body and how you treat it. I am glad you are feeling better, keep doing what you’re doing!
I have Graves (hyperthyroidism) but is not a huge focus of my blog. I do not think that living with a condition that can effect your metabolism or how you have to eat, makes you any less a health blogger.
Before I had my thyroid irradiated (one of the few treatments for Graves), reading what other people went through really helped me through it. It can be scary when you are normally healthy and youngish to have to deal with something like that.
I think its funny that someone would ask that. If it were the case that someone with an ‘illness’ or ‘condition’ isn’t a hlb, then i’m pretty sure there would be like 5 people left…
I find it odd that someone could even connect you having Colitis with being a healthy living blogger. The two, in my mind, are mutually exclusive. But whatever…
They would definitely still be a healthy living blogger because healthy living is all about taking care of yourself and doing what’s best for you, not for other people. š
I don’t really understand why you wouldn’t be considered a healthy living blogger. You are still writing about living a healthy, well-rounded life in way that makes you feel your best. Sounds like a healthy living blogger to me!
Yes of course! I love seeing how others deal with challenges and obstacles in their life! It seems to make them more human!
absolutely! i’ll always love this blog…you were one of my firsts š
Of course! Having a disease or condition doesn’t impede someone’s ability to follow a healthy lifestyle!
The fact of the matter is that eating a healthy diet is only part of preventing certain illnesses. Most diseases and illnesses have a genetic component, and several environmental factors can contribute to whether or not you will get a certain disease. Being a healthy living blogger does not mean that you have an invincible immune system. It just means that you have devoted yourself to living a healthy lifestyle to hopefully prevent the onset of disease. Not only are you a healthy living blogger, but you are one of the best healthy living bloggers out there!
I just wanted to say thank your for being a healthy living blogger. Your experience made me realize that I need to change my diet to accomodate what my body needs and not what my mind thinks it needs. That meant not trying to consume mass amounts of veggies, dairy, and eggs when my body really needed some easy to digest carbs. I’m sorry you had to go through what you went through but I hope you realize how helpful your blog has been to others that have to make changes for the sake of good health and healthy living. Thank you!
People have already said it, but I just wanted to add my two cents — I find it offensive that someone asked you that! Of course you’re still a healthy living blogger, and an amazing one at that. I have a GI condition that I’ve dealt with since birth — does that mean I’m not healthy? Of course not! It has actually inspired me to be healthier and appreciate everything I have. If anything, illness provides perspective and wisdom. I’m so sorry you’re dealing with colitis, but I also know you’ll make the most of a difficult situation! You go girl š
Healthy can be different for everyone. But if you’re listening to your body, doing what’s right, and limiting “bad” foods, then of course you’re living healthy!
Duh! you are soo still a healthy living blogger, that is a crazy question to ask! Glad to hear you are feeling better!
Colitis is not such a frightful “chronic condition”, let alone “illness”. It affects 8 out of 10 women. The ones you hear saying, “No, thanks, raw salad/coffee/milk makes my colitis worse”, and then they go on with their lives thanking God they are in perfect health, because they are.
Much like acne, cellulite, seasonal allergies or high blood pressure.
Why are you putting so much emphasis on such a mild problem? Have you ever been alive or has your life always been filled with pink glitter, beers and smelly pugs?
What are you missing on life?
I think you really need to have a child now.
My mother has a very rare case of Crohn’s disease that’s literally eating her out and you never ever hear her complain.
If you really care to look like a serious healthy living blogger, please stop considering yourself a disease fighting hero when all you have to cope with is a simple gas producing colitis.
@maura:
While I don’t typically engage in this kind of attack driven commentary, I cannot let this one go. So….
Um, actually Maura, Ulcerative Colitis can be pretty darn terrifying. Yes, Crohn’s Disease flare ups are TERRIBLE and the danger there is that it affects ALL of the intestines, not just the large intestine (colon), and that is (sincerely) absolutely terrible about your mother. But to dismiss UC just because it isn’t Crohn’s, is kind of elitist, conceited and uneducated.
When I was 18 years old, I had to sit there and watch MY mom suffer in a hospital for just over 3 weeks from life-threatening Ulcerative Colitis, NOT Crohn’s, and come very close (closer than I care to EVER think about) to death. And even after that, she STILL had to have her intestine removed. Then, she had a life threatening infection to the incision afterwards.
While I absolutely realize (and respect and understand) that you are upset about your mom. SO AM I. So please get your facts straight. UC and Crohns are EQUALLY BAD, and BOTH are and can be life threatening.
OH and by the way: I think your random 8 out of 10 statistic is only MAYBE more relevant to IBD as a collective set of issues, than just UC/colitis.
So Maura, Here are some facts about JUST HOW SERIOUS UC REALLY IS (and it’s direct relation to Crohn’s Disease):
1) http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/ulcerative-colitis-000166.htm
2) http://colitis.popularthinking.com/colitis-symptoms/any-women-with-as-454416.html
3) http://www.ccfa.org/media/pdf/FactSheets/womenfactsheet.pdf
4) http://www.med.umich.edu/ibd/info.htm
Yes! Of course you’re still a healthy living blogger! I don’t even understand why you wouldn’t be considered that anymore… you’re living a healthy life. … or are you taking up smoking and eating ice cream for breakfast? š