Steve Jobs once said, “The first 30 years of your life, you make your habits. When you are 30 and above, your habits make you.”

The last time I ate a fast-food hamburger was about two months ago, and it was only because my 20-member family decided to go to Wendy’s.

I always complain to them about not having enough healthy eating habits. Since I was a little girl, I would eat fruits instead of candy and granola instead of ice cream. I am not sure why I would do that, but having a healthy lifestyle has always defined me, especially now that I understand the benefits of living.

These choices are what I’ve become known for in my family. Whenever we have family reunions, I always keep in mind what I order or prepare for myself. I try to convince my immediate family to turn vegan, but my mother always tells me the same thing, “Estás loca Grecia, quieres morirte de hambre.” (You’re crazy, do you want to starve to death?).

Don’t get me wrong, I have tasted the other side and I honestly have not liked it as much as the healthy side. But there have also been times in my life where I just start eating chocolates every day or drink too many sweetened teas.

There was even a time that I was over-eating a Mexican candy called Skwinkles. I was in elementary school and it was pretty much the only candy I ate during that period. I would eat one box each day and sometimes even two boxes per day. When I was starting middle school, I noticed my teeth color changed from white to light yellow. And this seemed weird because I had the habit of brushing my teeth after every meal. So my mother and I went to the dentist and found out the acid that was contained in the Skwinkles took out some whiteness of my teeth that I could never recover again.

Imagine my frustration after knowing that, because of my parents’ negligence, I was never going to have the whiteness that my teeth could have because of freaking acid “candy.” I think this was the precedent of me not ever eating candy for long periods of time, and if I did it is just one candy.

This experience made its mark on me. I now care about every single aspect of my health, always striving for a balance however. I practice yoga four times a week, I eat slowly and in portions, I drink a gallon of water per day, I am constantly meditating throughout the day (because is not only about physical health I care about, but mental health as well), and I try to have eight hours of  sleep regularly.

Health does not represent just my habits; it has become my life. I do all these things because I feel good with myself afterward. I have experienced less stress by sleeping well, I feel happy with myself after every yoga practice I perform, and I feel with less depression once I know I ate well and did not go for the easy fast-food choice.

By caring about my health, I am caring about the future I pursue, which would be impossible to accomplish if I do not feel well. I care about my family, who loves seeing me happy. I care about my friends, who have seen me in my worst, and cherish my daily healthy decisions. By caring about my health, I am caring about myself, the first most important thing everyone should do in their lives.