Healthy Chicks

This week, I received a special package in the mail: my certificate from the American Association of Drugless Practitioners that states that I’ve met the requirements to be a Certified Health Practitioner. Yes, I am finally officially official, and boy does it feel good. It seems like just yesterday that I enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to begin my journey to become a health coach, and now I’m finally there.

Here are some highlights from the year:

September 2011: I began my classes at IIN, and became amazed by the weekly lectures. I also attended IIN’s Fall conference, where I met a group of like-minded students and inspiring speakers like Deepak Chopra and founder Joshua Rosenthal himself. I also shared my first “I love you” with The Boy, something neither of us had ever said to anyone before.

October 2011: I completed my second half marathon in Newport, RI, which I will also be taking part in this year. I felt strong, powerful and inspired, and also broke my PR by five minutes!

November 2011: I celebrated one year with The Boy in the lovely Waterville Valley, NH. Everything was perfect, and I couldn’t be more happy.

December 2011: I fell more deeply in love with core fusion classes at Exhale Spa, and celebrated the holidays surrounded by friends, family and loved ones.

January 2012: I took a mini trip to Fisher’s Island to visit the grandparents, relax and “unplug.” It was pure bliss.

February 2012: I signed on my first client. My dreams are starting to become a reality!

March 2012: I signed on two new clients in two weeks. Things are really picking up.

April 2012: I hosted a mini Open House for my business at my mom’s hair salon in Connecticut.

May 2012: My article written for Milkshake, LLC on the Green PolkaDot Box was published in the Huffington Post. This was a huge accomplishment for me, as I went to college for journalism and have always taken great pride in my writing. I was also accepted as a FitFluential Ambassador, an outlet for me to continue to share my passion for healthy living. Seriously, what a month!

June 2012: I quit my part time job at the spa to focus more on growing my business, freelance writing and networking. It was a bold risk, but I knew it’d be worth it. I also hosted my very first wellness workshop, “Get Real (About Food).”

July 2012: I turned 25, a quarter century that is. This was a big year for me, as I have many goals for myself at 25, including becoming financially stable and growing my business.

August 2012: I received my certificate as a Certified Health Practitioner in the mail, and could not be more proud of myself. I think it’s safe to say I’ve finally found my calling!

And there you have it. A year in the life of a health coach in training. I can honestly say that this had been the best year in my life including my relationship, career and personal life. If you’re interested in learning more about my education at IIN, feel free to email me at any time, comment or head on over to their website to learn more.

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Last night, I was lucky enough to listen to an extremely empowering lecture by Joshua Rosenthal, the Founder and Director of Institute for Integrative Nutrition (where I will graduate from in a couple short months!)

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel like every time I am going through a certain internal battle or issue, the perfect lecture comes along like it’s speaking specifically to me. This particular discussion was on fear. Fear of change. Fear of growing. Fear of trying something new. Fear of the future. Fear of the unknown. Fear of being in that “transition phase,” as Joshua calls that place of uncertainty.

If any of you have ever ended a relationship or a friendship you knew deep down in your heart wasn’t working, or left a career you weren’t fulfilled in/ that you weren’t passionate about, or even took a risk to go after something you truly believed in, you know how scary that in-between phase can be. “Will I ever be successful?” “Am I ever going to find love again?” “How am I going to make enough money to support myself?”

And 9 times out of 10, everything sorts itself out. You find a better job that suits your personality, you fall in love again (even if it’s just with yourself), and you move on.  These times are the moments we learn the most about ourselves; they’re moments of growth.

My favorite part of the poem is this line: “And so transformation of fear may have nothing to do with making fear go away, but rather with giving ourselves permission to “hang out” in the transition zone — between the trapeze bars — allowing ourselves to dwell in the  only place where change really happens.” This to me says it all.

Read below for the full piece, which I’m sure you’ll find quite inspiring.

The Flying Trapeze

Sometimes, I feel that my life is a series of trapeze swings. I’m either hanging on to a trapeze bar swinging
along or, for a few moments, I’m hurdling across space between the trapeze bars.

Mostly, I spend my time hanging on for dear life to the trapeze bar of the moment. It carries me along a certain
steady rate of swing and I have the feeling that I’m in control. I know most of the right questions, and even some
of the right answers. But once in a while, as I’m merrily, or not so merrily, swinging along, I look ahead of me
into the distance, and what do I see?

I see another trapeze bar looking at me. It’s empty. And I know, in that place in me that knows, that this new bar
has my name on it. It is my next step, my growth, my aliveness coming to get me. In my heart of hearts I know
that for me to grow, I must release my grip on the present well-known bar to move to the new one.

Each time it happens, I hope—no, I pray—that I won’t have to grab the new one. But in my knowing place, I
know that I must totally release my grasp on my old bar, and for some moments in time I must hurtle across
space before I can grab the new bar. Each time I do this I am filled with terror. It doesn’t matter that in all my
previous hurdles I have always made it.

Each time I am afraid I will miss, that I will be crushed on unseen rocks in the bottomless basin between the
bars.

But I do it anyway. I must.

Perhaps this is the essence of what the mystics call faith. No guarantees, no net, no insurance, but we do it
anyway because hanging on to that old bar is no longer an option. And so, for what seems to be an eternity but
actually lasts a microsecond. I soar across the dark void called “the past is over, the future is not yet here.” It’s
called a transition. I have come to believe that it is the only place that real change occurs.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the transition zone is the only real thing, and the bars are the illusions we
dream up to not notice the void. Yes, with all the fear that can accompany transitions, they are still the most
vibrant, growth-filled, passionate moments in our lives.

And so transformation of fear may have nothing to do with making fear go away, but rather with giving ourselves
permission to “hang out” in the transition zone — between the trapeze bars — allowing ourselves to dwell in the
only place where change really happens.

It can be terrifying. It can also be enlightening.

Hurdling through the void, we just may learn to fly.

Do you ever feel like your life is like a series of trapeze swings? How do you get through those periods of “transition”?

Good afternoon ladies! I hope you’re all having a bright, sunshiney week so far. As for me, I’m dedicating this week solely to my health, that is taking care of myself inside and out not only foodwise, but also physically, mentally and spiritually.

Trust me, I understand how chaotic life can get at times with work, friends, relationships, children and other plans, making it seem nearly impossible to make time for yourself.

Unfortunately, during these crazy times, we tend to put our health on the back burner (re: skipping meals, nighttime bingeing, letting stress get the best of you, flaking out on yoga class because you “don’t have time”). You get the picture. What we don’t realize is that by doing this, we’re ultimately hurting ourselves in the long run.

Well, we want our health to move from the back burner to the front burner; yup right in front where everyone can see it. You see, no matter how crazy/impossible/frustrating/stressful our lives can get, we at the very least owe it to ourselves to take care of our health. And I promise it’s not impossible to do!

Here are my Top 3 Get Healthy Tips, and none of them include counting calories, weight loss gimmicks or hitting the gym two hours a day.

1. BREATHE. Yes, I said it. Breatheeeee. Take a second out of your impossible, schedule-driven day to simply check in with yourself. I highly recommend taking weekly yoga classes, but if yoga’s not for you, try meditating or practicing deep breathing before bed. Not only does this help you focus, but you’ll also decrease stress levels (in turn promoting weight loss and a healthy metabolism) find balance, improve your mood, and gain energy.

I also enjoy drinking 16 oz. of water (with lemon if you have it) right upon waking up to get my digestion flowing and start the day fresh.

2. Read the Ingredients While I’m not a fan of defining yourself by the tag on your jeans, I am a fan of the labels on our food. It’s not simply just calories, carbs, and fat. It’s a little more complex than that, and that’s why we need to learn to read the labels of everything we’re putting in our mouth. We all know soda and chips aren’t the best for our health, but do you ever read the ingredients in your everyday bread, favorite snacks, and even your “healthy” vegetable burger. You’ll be shocked by what you can find! If it’s longer than six ingredients or has strange names you can’t pronounce, you can bet your body won’t recognize it either.

You may be inclined to grab a low-calorie, fat free cheese stick but just because it’s “only 60 calories” does not make it healthy. On the same note, a 200 calorie raw, organic bar or a 300-calorie roasted chicken meal does not necessarily mean “high calorie! weight gaining! will ruin my diet!” Like I said, read the ingredients. Ingredients are what matter.

3. Stop Fearing Food The minute I stopped fearing and stressing over food, the weight started coming off. Instead of making a list of all the things you CAN’T HAVE EVER, try to include more fresh, wholesome, energizing foods. If we have a “no” list, the minute a craving sets in, guess what we’re going to go for? Yup, that frozen pizza or ice cream.

Instead, focus on expanding your selection of whole, natural foods (think: whole grains, fruits, vegetables) but allowing yourself a treat here and there if you want one. No foods are “off limit” completely. This approach helps you get control over your cravings, without going overboard.

Recap & Exciting News:

You see, it’s really as easy as 1, 2, 3! However, know that that’s what works for me, and what works for me may not work for you. Speaking of, I’m oh so excited to announce the launch of my new health counseling business Zesty Living, with a holistic, personal approach to living well and reaching your individual goals.

As I mentioned here, Zesty Living specifically caters to savvy business professionals and busy moms who are looking for natural ways to gain energy, reduce stress, lose weight and ultimately get that “zest” back into their lives. If you’re interested in more information or simply want to come along for the ride, I’d love for you to follow me on Twitter here or “like” me on Facebook here.

NOTE: I will be able to start taking clients next month, but in the meantime would love to schedule a FREE health consultation with you to discuss your personal goals and concerns.