Are You Addicted To Health And Wellness?

Londoners are becoming engaged with the concepts of health and wellness like never before. In fact, at Welltodo London, we’re declaring it a #wellnessrevolution (go on… use it)! However, we are also passionate about the importance of a balanced approach to adopting a healthier lifestyle.

We believe that taking care of your health must come from a place of self-love – not feel like an obsessive, guilt-driven addiction!

So… we called on the expertise of Persia and Joey from Addictive Daughter (touted as some of the next generation’s thought leaders alongside Mastin Kipp and Gabby Bernstein) to help us understand how to adopt a positive and healthy lifestyle, in body and mind.

What are the telltale signs of addiction and how could this apply both positively and negatively to the pursuit of health and wellness?

The term ‘addiction’ notoriously gets a bad rap. The very word conjures up images of a down-trodden addict shuffling around desperately seeking his next hit of the good stuff. It isn’t surprising then that, typically, we associate the term ‘addiction’ with death, destruction and chaos.

However, many of us are just as addicted to other behaviours, which, whilst they may not look outwardly as extreme, are negatively impacting our daily lives. For wellness revolution enthusiasts, this may appear in the form of under-eating, over-exercising, obsessive negative thoughts around body image and incessant comparison to others… We don’t even realise we’re doing it half the time!

After searching high and low, we found a really great definition of the term ‘addict’ and that is, ‘an enthusiastic devotee of a specified thing or activity.’

For us, it’s all about getting enthusiastically devoted to the things that make us feel good – in place of a controlling or punishing mentality around food or fitness.

As health-conscious people, is it possible to expect too much of ourselves?

Yes, most of us struggle with this – it’s so easy to lose the fun amidst societal pressures! Wellness should be enjoyable – what’s the point of looking like Cara Delevigne if you’re miserable and constantly depriving yourself?

At Addictive Daughter, we don’t advocate any hard and fast rules – it’s whatever works for the individual. It’s about listening to your body, and everyone’s different.

Persia, for example, feels much better when she cuts out wheat and dairy so she has built that into her daily routine. That’s not to say that sometimes she doesn’t deviate from this (and no one dies when she does), but the way her body reacts to wheat and dairy reminds her that it feels better to avoid them. More and more, she willingly makes the choice to do so because it feels good. Joey currently has a tumultuous relationship with sugar (she’s a sugar fiend and often crashes and burns after a good chocolate bar!). She’s making shifts around sugar consumption accordingly – but from a place of gentle recognition, rather than drastic action.

By expecting too much of ourselves, it’s easy to slide into the guilt and shame of ‘not enough’ and ‘I’m a failure’. No one works well from that place. It’s about letting go of the blips, and getting back on track as soon as possible – whatever that track looks like for you!

So what should motivate our desire to be healthy and well?

Our motto ‘get addicted to the good stuff’ is all about being gentle with oneself and taking daily action to move closer towards the things that make you feel good. Emphasis on the word feel and not look – if you are feeling good, you find yourself looking your best anyway, as we make choices based on the way we feel. The better we feel, the better the choices we make.

U.S. author Danielle LaPorte discusses this idea in depth in her book ‘The Desire Map and we’re absolutely behind it as a concept. For us, wellness is all about balance to some degree.

Danielle recently said, “Moderation, not abstinence. I’m not stringent about anything in my diet. If I want it, I eat it.”

Now… that doesn’t mean eating burgers and vegetating on the couch all day long as that leaves you feeling sluggish and gross (we’re speaking from experience here!). But if you really want a burger, have a burger. There’s always the possibility of walking instead of getting the bus the following day, or hitting up your local Zumba class after work if you feel you need that bit of extra movement to balance things out again!

Witnessing the inspiration of health bloggers and wellness warriors on Instagram can sometimes lead to feelings of guilt and self-condemnation. What are some ways to avoid these feelings?

Quite simply, don’t spend too much time on Instagram!

If you are experiencing negative feelings as a result of Instagram posts, then it may be time to switch up who you’re following. Be selective about which feeds you surround yourself with – the power is in the choices you make.

The beauty of having an abundance of health and wellness warriors on social media is we get to choose who we tune into! There’s little point in following people who leave us feeling crappy and in turn, de-motivated. Everyone is at different stages in their journey, and that’s OK.

Many welltodo Londoners may have witnessed the brave announcement from health blogger and Instagrammer ‘The Blonde Vegan’ this month, as she renounced veganism and disclosed the truth about living with Orthorexia.

What are the important lessons for health-conscious people to take from this story?

You know what, we actually found this really refreshing! It’s great to see Jordan acknowledge that her blog is ‘a spot for total honesty.’ That’s surely the most important thing, that each of us speaks and lives by our own truth. To thine own self be true. It was brave of her to admit that, actually, she has changed her mind about something – and that’s OK, too.

By openly addressing her battle with Orthorexia, it will hopefully inspire others to address their own demons. Everyone has demons in some form or another. We really like the phrase, ‘You’re only as sick as the secrets you keep.’ Once you share a problem with a friend, and ask for help… you’re halfway to solving it.

What can we do today to make sure that London’s wellness revolution impacts positively on our lives?

Take what you like and leave the rest – we need to make it OK to be your own person and simply get clear on what works for you. And in turn, don’t judge other people for their decisions just because they don’t look the same as your own. As women, we can be so hard on each other! London’s wellness revolution should be about community, support and feeling inspired to be our personal best.

Persia and Joey are two 20-something best friends. They founded Addictive Daughter to lovingly guide you through your Quarter-Life Crisis (QLC) and inspire you to create a better life for yourself than you ever dreamed was possible. Visit their website www.addictivedaughter.com to find out more about how they can help you to ‘get addicted to the good stuff.’