Does it bother anyone else out there that health, wellness, well-being, nutrition, mindfulness, Paleo, vegan, GAPS, gluten-free, sugar-free, (and all the other common buzz words etc.) have become a trend? Or is it just me?

Don’t get me wrong. The real food movement is exciting! People getting excited about fruits and veggies is encouraging! The public is starting to explore and ask questions. I am thrilled about this! In fact, health being ‘trendy’ has many, many advantages.

Yet it makes me uncomfortable and anxious.

Looking after yourself isn’t a matter of being ‘cool’ or ‘uncool’, but rather a matter of thriving versus mere surviving. Clean eating isn’t about finally achieving a “hot” body (although I’m not disputing that it’s a very welcome side effect), but about feeling strong and immune to daily ailments such as headaches, bloating and excessive sneezing (just to name a few).

Maybe I’m being judgmental (and I apologize if this post comes across as unkind), but I can’t help but watch as the world of health and wellness continues to be flooded with stereotypes, an alternative ‘status quo’ and a undeniable pressure to conform to a new type of ‘normal’.

There are so many new trends related to food, mindset and exercise, that health is seeming to become more of a bandwagon parade, where individuals can hop from vehicle to vehicle until they find what they’re looking for.

Perhaps I am sensitive to this fact as this is exactly what I did (insert cringes and #regrets here).

I was seduced by the zen-ness of yoga devotees.

I was sucked into the ‘plant-based diet is best’ belief system (vegans always used to get me with their animal rights arguments … even when I understood the food chain perfectly well and knew how good I felt eating meat)

I fell in love with health food stores, like a kid in a candy shop, being manipulated by ‘all natural’ this and ‘raw vegan’ that.

I even started drinking green juices because so many health ‘gurus’ swore by them (and green is my fave colour).

And then, when I was a juice-drinking, yoga-loving, mostly organic and plant-based little munchkin , I was happy (on some weird superficial level), feeling content in the fact that I had achieved ‘hippy status’ (or whatever the heck it was I had really gained from changing to a quote un-quote healthy lifestyle).

You might be reading along and wondering, well what’s wrong with those things? Yoga’s fun yeah? Juice is yummy … isn’t it? Organic is important. Too much meat is bad right?

Lovely ones, the problem was that I chased an image, rather than listening to my body and my truth. I was desperately unwell, and didn’t know what to do, but knew I better change something. So I (cringe-worthingly) did what I actually never ever wanted to do … I became a sheep.

Sure to my inner circle I was totally different. Very few of them did yoga or practiced mindfulness. Very few of them knew how to pronounce quinoa (keen-wah) or acai (a-sigh-ee) properly. Very few of them read food labels and refused to eat additives.

But I became just like every other wellness ‘nut’ (pun intended) out there. There was no point of difference and no questioning. The more I learned, the more I had health-nerd projectile word-vomit (a technical term that describes the preachy tone of an individual who finds ‘a better way’ … and therefore is entitled to help everyone ‘see the light’ also).

Yet my gut was growing weaker every day and couldn’t handle the amount of fibre in my smoothies, salads and veggie bowls.

I couldn’t gain weight because my gut was so damaged and leaky.

I couldn’t understand where I was going wrong. I was trying to take responsibility for my healing process, not wanting to be on medications for the rest of my life.

The second I started being 100% honest with myself was the second I started to get better.

I jumped off all band wagons and simply allowed common sense, intuition and innate intelligence guide me to where I needed to be.

I ditched gluten for good – not because it was ‘all the rage’, but because no matter how many times I was told by my GP that “gluten isn’t bad unless you have coeliac”(to this day I beg to differ … the science just keeps coming out showing us that it wrecks all forms of havoc on even “healthy” digestive tracts), or how many times I read that spelt bread is a nutritious option, I couldn’t ignore the fact that it gave me a scratchy feeling in the stomach, anxious feeling in the mind and a blocked feeling in the nose.

I also ditched sugars for a short period of time also. Not because “I Quit Sugar” sounds sexy, but because I learned that I had a candida overgrowth that was causing me grief (google candida overgrowth symptoms and you’ll understand). Although it was a sad, banana-less existence, it worked and now I get to enjoy naturally sweeter foods without a panic-attack or excessive gas.

I finally ditched grains, wondering whether that would clear up my last few remaining hay fever symptoms. And what do ya know? I can breathe like a normal human.

I’ve always loved soups, veggies, nuts/seeds, a little fruit and slow cooked meats (oh and fish I Loooooooovvvvvvveeeee oily fish – ocean trout come at me!). So these foods have become the bulk of my diet. Mugs of butternut pumpkin soup may not make for very interesting social media snaps but they sure keeps me fighting fit!

Company may look on in disapprovingly as I chew on ox tail bones (sorry not sorry) and mamma bear holds her nose in disgust as I sip on coconut water kefir (it is pretty smelly after all). I’m definitely not ‘cool’ or ‘trendy’ in fact I’m pretty goofy (and in all honesty I’ve probably scared some acquaintances off with my bright-eyed, passionate nature) … but I love me for it and I’m actually, truly, genuinely happy.

I still love yoga and when I get a bit better I want to do yoga teacher training … but I don’t own any “yoga” getups … I just go in a t-shirt and plain leggings (because I dislike overpriced “clingy” singlets and groovy leggings that cost an entires week’s pay)

I still think plant foods are great (oh hail the green smoothie) – but I am sure to balance them out with things like salmon and my favourite muffins.

I still enjoy mooching around the health food store – but am much more critical and aware of marketing claims (no matter who is endorsing something … I have learned to have a philosophy and practice shopping integrity)

Juices are still something I enjoy from time to time if I’m at an organic cafe that does veggie juices made to order, but I don’t seek them out the rest of the time.

So please kind readers, don’t misunderstand me. I’m super glad that more and more people are making healthier lifestyle choices. But it shouldn’t be a matter of a trend, a conformity project or achieving an image that you think is more desirable. Those that naturally have that image – well done to you. As for the rest of us. Let’s just eat and drink foods that keep us happy and healthy. Let’s move the way we feel called to move. Let’s think in a way that is balanced and open-minded.

Health is not a trend for goodness sake! It’s a way of life, something that we maintained without even thinking about it for ages and ages, before advertising, social media, scare tactics, scientific manipulation and arrogance got in the way.

Green smoothies aren’t cool, they are green smoothies and if you like them, cool bananas (pun intended) but if you don’t, no sweats, just find a different way to get the colour green down that gob on a daily basis (lime cordial and green snakes don’t count!)

Yoga is incredible, but you don’t have to completely change your lifestyle and image (start wearing hippy yogi pants and decorating your home with buhda – not that there is anything wrong with that either … I’m just saying its not essential) to start doing some downward dog on your living room floor!

Health food stores are sure a hell of a lot better than the average supermarket aisle, but shopping there doesn’t make you part of a ‘better’ or ‘more educated’ tribe, you’re still just a person in a shop with money to spend – hopefully on something that you honestly enjoy and haven’t chosen because the package was decorated with buzz words.

Choosing a healthier lifestyle doesn’t make you cool and it doesn’t make you a dork, it shouldn’t be the reason that you fit in or stand out. It shouldn’t complete you or make people like you more or less. It’s quite simply, something personal that you do because you love and value yourself.