Healthy and mindful lifestyles are growing in popularity. We are starting to get more and more concerned about our planet, our animals and our own health. Consuming organic food seems like an ongoing growing trend. So are yoga and other types of exercise.

But for many of us, this whole lifestyle trend has one specific benefit we love and aim for: Looking good (for as long as possible). Lets face it; if healthy balanced diets and exercise would make us look like shit; most of us wouldn’t bother. No matter how healthy.

In our Western(influenced) world healthy means more, something different,  than just the medical meaning of health. We attach culture-based standards to what is healthy. In our culture it generally  means LOOKING healthy. And that’s not necessarily the same as actually being healthy.

'Healthy looks'  mean looking young, radiant, slim (..sexy..).  Its why so many fitness-sites have close-to-pornographic pics alongside the ‘Cardio works for the heart!’- articles (ah, you know the pics I mean. The bronzed, fitnessmodel girls -in undies- doing squats, while showing loads of fake boobie cleavage- type of pics ; ) ).
‘Healthy looks’  mean looking young, radiant, slim (..sexy..).  Its why so many fitness-sites have close-to-pornographic pics alongside the ‘Cardio works for the heart!’- articles (ah, you know the pics I mean. The bronzed, fitnessmodel girls -in undies- doing squats, while showing loads of fake boobie cleavage- type of pics ; ) ).

Truth is, people can be really healthy without looking ‘fit’. Training a lot, running, being skinny, having heavy diets, etc.  -doesn’t necessarily mean  you’re healthy. Not at all. Yet, so many fitness and healthy lifestyle sites talk about it as though it’s the same thing (looking healthy/being healthy). And with succes. So I really think for a lot of us the healthy ‘look’ is more of a priority than actually being healthy (let alone ‘mindful’). And that’s okay. But lets just be honest about it then.

I guess all I’m tring to say here is that a blog about exercise and diet cant go without talking about looks. Or to be more specific: body image. Cause why do we want to look ‘fit’? How do we get influenced? Where do our ideas about ideal looks come from? etc.

Again, also here, I believe it’s important to find the balance between wanting to look amazing, while actually being healthy and happy (being obsessed with looks will depress anyone). Going too far on one aspect means youre losing sight of the other(s) (-we CAN have it all. Yes. We. Can.)

So I enjoy and think it’s important to share knowledge and thoughts of where ideal eastetics actually come from.  I believe it helps relativate our own –sometimes unrealistic- standards/views of body-image (and frustrations with things that influence it). Knowing that it’s all about culture and history (cultural history; click here for an example)  makes it all less personal.. right?