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She is often praised for her own healthy and active lifestyle, but First Lady Michelle Obama admits it hasn’t always been the case.
In an interview with Women’s Health, Mrs Obama said she knew first-hand how easy it is to let your health fall by the wayside when you’re juggling a hundred things at once.
“Back when I was a busy working mom living in Chicago, Barack and I didn’t always make the best nutrition choices. We were a little too dependent on our microwave and the local takeout places. It got to the point where our pediatrician pulled me aside and urged me to make some changes for the sake of our daughters’ health – That was a real wake up call for us.” she said.
It sparked the family into making some simple but effective changes, such as eating more fruit and vegetables, drinking more water and making the effort to cook at home more. (Post continues after gallery.)
Michelle Obama on Instagram
Like any many woman, she also said she’d been guilty of focusing on everyone around her to the detriment of herself, particularly when her first daughter Malia was born. Trying to juggle her job as a mother, her own career as well as supporting her husband’s, her own health lost priority.
“Back then, I was barely able to take a shower every day, let alone get to the gym. And one day, my mother sat me down and told me, ‘Michelle, you cannot be there for everyone else if you’re not there for yourself.’ Like usual, she was right. And while, like many women—and men—I’ve struggled to find the right balance, I try to make sure that my own health and wellbeing is up there at the top of the list along with my family’s.”
