Welcome to My Blog!
My name is Ellie Podojil - I'm a 22-year-old registered nurse and recently retired college soccer player. All my life I've considered myself to be "healthy". I never knew what the true definition of health was, but I could play in a 90-minute soccer game, I could run really fast, and I looked pretty fit compared to the people around me. Based on these qualities, I truly believed I was the epitome of a healthy young woman and had reached the ceiling of my wellness potential. While my mind continued to tell me I was healthy, my body was telling a completely different story. During my senior year of college, I had the same recurring thought day after day: "Why don't I FEEL healthy?"
- Why does my stomach always hurt?
- Why do I get headaches regularly?
- Why do I get fatigued so quickly?
- Why do I have acne?
- Why am I always bloated after meals?
- Why do my period cramps hurt SO bad?
- Why is my mood so inconsistent?
I’m no doctor, but it doesn’t take a genius to understand that these symptoms do not describe a healthy individual. In fact, I would go as far as saying that they describe someone who is decidedly unhealthy. After some reflection, I came to the conclusion that the way I felt had two possible explanations:
- Being “healthy” is a scam because no matter what you’ll still feel like crap
- I’m not as healthy as I think I am
I found the latter to be true…
This realization came as both a relief and a shock. The relief came from knowing that the things I struggled with are not normal, but rather signs of poor health (even though society will tell you they are normal). The shock came from realizing that I had been lying to myself for a long time, and that I had a lot of work to do to get my health where I wanted it to be.
I began to do more research - I listened to podcasts, dug through articles, and read books written by experts who had so much knowledge to share about their studied fields of health. Needless to say, I quickly learned that I had fallen victim to the lies that society feeds us about what it means to be healthy, and I was ready to wake up.
I can’t help but think that there are millions of other people out there just like me who are starting to realize that feeling like crap everyday is not normal. That in itself is the first step towards creating a healthier life. But understandably, they don’t know where to go after taking that first step because there is an overwhelming number of paths to take. Fad diets, weight loss medication, and insane workout regimens all seem enticing because they offer quick fixes to chronic issues. I can tell you from experience that these "fixes" will never work. The truth is that real health - the kind where you wake up everyday and feel GOOD - comes from lifestyle changes and consistent habits that you carry with you forever. I know that sounds intimidating, but it really is the only way.
My health “awakening” started about six months ago. Since then I’ve implemented some basic lifestyle changes that are already paying off, but I still have so much more to learn. This blog will serve as my outlet as I dive deep into my health journey. I will be interviewing health experts, reading books, and experimenting with lifestyle changes, all while sharing what I find with you each week in a way that you can understand. I will cover broad topics like nutrition, fitness, and environmental toxins, as well as the nitty gritty stuff like hormonal imbalances, gut health, and sleep cycles. Each week, I will document what I learn to serve as a guide not only for myself, but for anyone else who is ready to take that next step towards living a truly healthy life.
My goal through all of this is to become the healthiest version of myself physically, mentally, and spiritually, but I also hope to offer guidance to others who are committed to starting their own health journey. After all, beginners are the best teachers for other beginners.
I am so excited to share this process with you all!
Let’s Get to Work!
