How friendships can help strengthen your health journey

“Health requires a lot of discipline and it’s much easier to be disciplined if you feel you aren’t alone on the journey.”

Embarking on a health journey can be daunting. Believe me, I’ve been on many. From trying to cure my cystic acne through a gluten-free diet, going vegan for a number of years to restore balance in my relationship with food, and trying to cure my PCOS through whole foods and healthy eating, it’s safe to say I’ve tried it all.

But the best thing I’ve found on my numerous quests for wellbeing is that it’s always better with support from friends. During Melbourne’s first lockdown, I found a state of equilibrium by running with a couple of my close mates.

For more content like this, browse through our Life section.

We’d only run five or six kilometres (at most) but the act of challenging and supporting each other to achieve our individual health goals helped not only with my fitness but also my mental health during a challenging time.

Having access to nutritional food and eating nourishing meals is also an important part of any health journey. We’ve all heard it before, but food really is fuel.

With this in mind, I asked besties and Macros ambassadors, Tegan Martin and Brooke Nash, to share how they’ve helped each other with their own health goals along the way. For those not familiar, Macros provides ready-made meals for cooking novices or those strapped for time, catering to any dietary requirement. 

Health journeys look different for everyone

For Tegan, her health journey has been a rollercoaster of issues with fatigue and gut health. “Nowadays, I feel better than I did ten years ago,” she tells me. 

“This is largely due to a complete change in diet and lifestyle,” Tegan adds. “Moving forward, I will forever be committed to supporting my mind and body with the right exercise, food, vitamins, minerals and self-talk.”

Tegan fully believes that ageing doesn’t need to be synonymous with feeling like crap, a sentiment I wholeheartedly agree with.

Brooke, on the other hand, has been a lot luckier with her health journey. While her concerns have been minor, such as skin issues and bloating (which I’m sure a lot of us can relate to), she has learned to stick to what makes her “feel good from the inside out”.

The importance of friendship

When Brooke and Tegan moved in together, they endeavoured to provide as much support to each other as possible – in health but also in life. “We find the time to regularly check in on each other to see how we’re feeling, both physically and mentally,” Brooke says.

Tegan tells me that although the pair don’t necessarily share the same health goals, Brooke always goes out of her way to support hers. “It means the world!” she says. 

“Living together it would be something as simple as her saying, ‘I’ve booked us for a class tomorrow’ or ‘I made us some dinner but I didn’t put cheese on yours’ – it’s this kind of support that keeps me feeling strong and determined to stay on track with my goals.”

Tegan would even go as far as to say that “if you don’t have the right people around you pursuing your health goals, it is near impossible”, and there’s definitely some truth to that.

Staying prepared

On top of support from her friend, Brooke says Macros has helped her immensely on her health journey as a mum. “Being a mum, renovating our home and working all at the same time, sometimes I just don’t have enough hours in the day to think about what to have for lunch or dinner – occasionally even skipping these meals,” she says.

“Having the convenience of ready-made meals has been a godsend for the whole family.” Tegan, who is dairy-intolerant, has had a lot of difficulties finding dairy substitutes that she can eat on the go and that, more importantly, taste good.

“In the past, I’ve had such busy days that I’ve unintentionally skipped a meal,” she tells me. “I love that now I can grab a meal out of the fridge on my way out the door. Some weeks, I just don’t have half a day free to meal prep unless I want to sacrifice my social life – which quite frankly, I don’t.”

Tegan says that Macros has not only helped to support her body’s nutritional needs – she finds comfort knowing the meals are dietician-approved – but also her productivity. “I’ve been having Macros meals for lunch and dinner this week and it really dawned on me how much valuable time you can waste planning, cooking and cleaning up after cooking… my productivity has soared!” she says. 

Grab your bestie

As Tegan says, it can be isolating at times to attend to your health and fitness, which is why it’s important (and more enjoyable) to have someone to hold you accountable. Tegan loves having Brooke by her side, as she holds a similar mindset, shares tips and gives her pep talks when the going gets tough. “Health requires a lot of discipline and it’s much easier to be disciplined if you feel you aren’t alone on the journey,” she says.

Brooke also encourages people to have someone that shares similar health goals to you alongside them on your health journey. “Tegan and I have had one of those friendships from the beginning,” she tells me. “We always keep each other accountable and make sure we are on track with the health goals we have set for ourselves – without skimping on the fun, of course.”

If you’re struggling to find the motivation or need assistance on your own journey, grab your friend for support. It never hurts to ask for help, and a little support (and preparation) can go a long way. 

To discover more wellness success tips, head here.