Healthy living is key to performing at your optimum ability. For Prime Health Ambassador, Felicity Bee juggling life as a bobsleigh athlete and Junior Doctor requires balancing mental and physical challenges to ensure she can perform at her best. Here she shares what healthy living means to her.

“Many facets of my life are revolved around health, whether it is optimising my own strength and fitness in the sporting world or working with patients to treat disease and improve their health. I do however question the definition of healthy living and the nuances of the meaning of health. In the most rational of terms, healthy living is to avoid disease and increase longevity, however, I think there is value in experiences that push our health. Sometimes the balance of physical and mental health cause ambiguity in our priorities to ‘being healthy’.

As a preface to my words, I believe it is important I acknowledge my privilege and I am conscious that as an able-bodied woman who has been educated on healthy eating, exercise and has the financial freedom to buy a good pair of trainers and fill my fridge with fruit and vegetables, I have a kickstart to adapt my lifestyle to create a healthy balance that works for me.

For me the weeks I feel my best and healthiest are the weeks I eat nutritious food, I spend time with positive people who radiate the same energy for life, I move my body and get the release of endorphins and appreciate my freedom to exercise, I spend time outdoors and feel present with my surroundings.

For the people who are in a position to be more healthy and better their lifestyle, I believe it starts with mental health. A healthy mindset, and a state of mind that is free in thought and able to embrace the experiences in front of you. I have definitely had periods of time when my mental health has been poor, I’ve neglected the fundamentals and anxiety has been a component in not allowing me to function best with the things I do. These personal experiences, make me empathetic to circumstances and at times doing that extra gym session or swapping a pizza for a salad is not the priority.

I, therefore, think first and foremost you must be in a healthy mindset to set the foundations to build a healthy routine and lifestyle. This doesn’t mean that there’s a requirement to be positive and happy all the time, but it’s crucial to acknowledge emotions, be actively aware of your mental health and treat it with the same respect that you do my physical state.

In terms of the physical aspects of healthy living, I believe the key to success has been finding a balance that works for me. Working as a Junior Doctor and in shifts, means adopting a strict routine is compromised. Routines are often helpful for many to achieve balance. However, discipline to do the things that make me a healthy individual by prioritising movement, achieving adequate rest and adopting good nutrition allows me to have a strong base and starting point. It allows me to live and do the things that really matter to me free from limitations such as pain or fatigue.

In summary, I capsulate ‘healthy living’ as a lifestyle that involves behaviours that optimise the state you are in to be in a position to enjoy the adventures life brings. Whether that be good cardiovascular health so you can enjoy cycling with friends or having good joint health that allows you to pick up your young grandchild. The end result is really what you make it to be, but healthy living is something that shares many common grounds.

Get yourself moving, fuel your body with nutritious food, get adequate rest and avoid health-damaging behaviours such as smoking and excess alcohol. Adopting a lifestyle that integrates these things as a routine will build the foundations to let you live a lifestyle that keeps your heart and mind, both healthy and happy.”