Are the voices inside your head your own?

I hope the answer to this is yourself but even that is worth exploring.

In a World of constant information 24 hours, 7 days a week and 365 days a year we are constantly bombarded by information, voices and images. You may think that your thoughts and actions are that of your own making but if you really take a step back and start tracing each thought to its source you may find that many of your things you do, not only in the health and wellness space, have been told to you at some stage of your life. 

We could spend hours diving into each and every thought and try to trace it back to its source but for this article let’s focus on where you are currently at in your life. Let’s explore your health and wellness and what that means to you. It is so easy to get caught in the trap of social media and trying on each and every fad diet, new bio-hack and exercise routine for a week or more in hopes the claims will transform your life but sadly most let go and get frustrated because it just isn’t “right” for them. In my opinion the biggest problem here is that most people out there are really looking for the quick fix and magic pill without even considering if this is something that they really even want to do. Let’s take the Keto diet, this is probably the most popular of what has been known to be a fad diet but in fact is something that has been used therapeutically for over fifty years in a clinical setting. The thing here is listening to the experts and hearing what it is you want to hear whether it’s fat loss, less brain fog, increased energy or whatever the case may be.

We hear and see all the silver linings but forget to factor in ALL the work that goes into these dietary and lifestyle shifts. 

This is where I ask you to check-in. Go underneath all the superficial claims you hear out there and find within yourself what is most important for you to explore. Many go through an entire lifetime never really questioning anything or anyone, rather accepting that things that “experts” say are just the way things are supposed to be regardless if you have a feeling that it just might not be what you want or need to do. 

You will often hear people labeled as a conspirator, on the fringe or an outside because they make choices to look at things deeper. I feel this is unfair for those who truly have a deep curiosity for all things of, and maybe not of, this World. This is unfortunately even more the case for those who start exploring alternative treatments for what ails them in their health journey, opting for a more holistic approach versus the conventional approach which includes pharmaceutical interventions. health. There should be informed consent and choices made where you can accept, and understand, what it is you are doing and the possibilities surrounding that choice. 

My path to peace has taken me down a difficult road starting to really explore all the voices I hear in my head. Some of them are easy to identify and even easier to manage or dismiss BUT some are so deep rooted that it takes a lot of effort and compassion just to find that hallway, locate that door and attempt to open it and see what, or who, is on the other side. It is scary but empowering and exciting to have the chance to do this work and really get to pull back the curtain and find who is pulling the strings. 

In the health and wellness space I feel there are plenty of people out there that have great intentions and messages but as we have been talking about here, making sure to really connect with yourself and make sure what it is you are hearing aligns with who you are and the goals you have. At the end of the day anything you start you can stop at any point but things that you are really curious about including dietary changes, new movement and exercise routines, sleep hygiene, stress management and building out a community all will involve a commitment of time and patience. This is where tapping into your inner self and the drive behind what it is you are attempting to do is crucial. Locating the why and finding the purpose with an understanding and an experimental mindset that not all things are meant for all people. 

I say this quite often, I feel there are a million people saying the same message a million different ways. This is why I challenge you to explore what people are saying and how it feels when you make it your own thoughts and words.

Are you ready?

Journey from Disconnect to Devotion

To all coaches, nutritionists, teachers, health practitioners, families, friends and fellow human beings!

We are in a pivotal time in our history and as the statistics continue to show our health here in America is steadily on the decline.  The rates of “diabesity”, obesity and diabetes, in our country are depressingly alarming. In a recent report published by the Center of Disease Control (CDC), 34.2 million Americans are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes while 88 million have prediabetes, which is over 110 million and accounts for one-third of the US population!  

My personal health journey has led me down a path, and a calling, to help others take control. Although I personally have changed and learned so much, I also feel I have just begun my journey of self-exploration. Many people who knew the “old me” saw a shift and were impressed by my dedication. I recently realized that word did not sit right with me after listening to a podcast by Eric Godsey who used devoted rather than dedicated. Devoting myself to my health makes me feel how others may be devoted to their family, spouse, and faith. The word devotion captures my true feelings about how important these lifestyle changes have been for me. 

While I was at Bauman College studying holistic nutrition, I was saturated with so much powerful information which I implemented to change my own life, but this information also inspired me to help loved ones, friends and acquaintances to shift their health. Now, I will be honest, my initial approach with my loved ones was not the best, and oftentimes it was not well received. No matter how passionate and well-intended my message was, I learned that people do not want to be told what to do; even if they tell you they do, most people will rarely follow through with a plan because if it was not their idea to begin with. As I have progressed in my approach to helping people, one of the most important lessons I have learned from my own experiences and from my coursework that led me to become a certified Health and Wellness Coach through the Kresser Institute, is to be present with those who are in need. We can all do this. Creating a space to show you care and actually hear what someone is going through is a huge first step in helping all of us to support one another on this shift to optimal health. Your health, your life! 

The statistics don’t lie, and honestly, the statistics are not even needed to know where the health of our country is. Most people are on multiple medications, eat a standard western diet consisting of highly processed, nutrient-poor foods which obscure the ability to thrive due to the lack of essential vitamins and minerals. This leads to the struggle with many chronic illnesses. I have spent the past year connecting with friends and family all over the country in varying environments. No matter the location, the theme was fairly consistent: people are disconnected from their bodies.

People’s lives are infiltrated with tons of screen time, there is little to no mindful behaviors or prioritization of self-care. These problems are then exacerbated when combined with irregular sleep patterns which further contribute to a sense of being on constant auto-pilot and overall disconnect. I find myself now in a place where I have devoted my life to building routines and strategies to support myself, and hope to help others do the same.

Prior to being devoted to my body and my health, I feel like I endured a lifetime of being reliant on pharmaceuticals and doctor office visits. I always wanted to find an easy way out of whatever was ailing me at the time. I hope that others will see how far I have come and be interested enough to know how they can do the same. I can share my story to inspire others to take back their health. Observations that I have made sadden me because it seems that until people are presented with an ultimatum or an outcome that they HAVE to make changes, most do not want to. It seems it often takes a diagnosis of cancer, diabetes, heart disease or another major chronic illness to initiate change, but even then, oftentimes; people will turn to the quickest way out rather than looking at the big picture root cause.  I am constantly asking myself how I can support others to create changes in their lives as a proactive solution rather than reactive necessity. 

I was sick of being sick. I realized that my excessive drinking, my poor eating habits and terrible sleep were the main drivers of my unhealthy pattern. The pattern was gone out and get some drinks followed up with a late-night trip to Denny’s to eat a “tremendous twelve” which is pancakes, sausage, 2 eggs, hashbrowns and a muffin plus a chocolate shake and probably more dessert at 2AM. The day after drinking was usually spent running to the bathroom, popping Tylenol for my head and having an overall sense of feeling like garbage. At 6’4” and about 190 lbs. at the time I was active, fit and never missed work for how I was feeling. On the surface everything looked fine, but at the root of it all I was always dealing with some sort of illness or pain including stomach issues, chronic back pain, headaches, anxiety, depression, common cold and seasonal flu, allergies and the list goes on. After making this realization, the first step was to remove the alcohol then start building on a foundation of healthy eating habits. This led me to the doorstep of a program that helped pave the way for me to get the information necessary to do so. Attending Bauman College in 2018 was the first step in me regaining my health through diet and lifestyle changes and providing me the tools in order to do so. 

Our broken, junk-food crazed, pharmaceutical driven society is in need of a global wake up call. How can we, as a country and world, support each other and future generations to come together to heal ourselves and the earth? This is important work and it will take a community to continue to spread the word of health. It is through the restoration of eating real unprocessed whole foods, moving our bodies, focusing on sleep and community connection that we can solidify the pillars of health. 

We need to support our bodies and minds while respecting the gifts we have been given. All that we need has been given to us here on this earth. It is through action, community, and devotion that we can flourish as individuals and society. Reflecting back, I now see that how I lived for so very long was not in service to myself, nor anyone around me. Since devoting myself to this journey, I feel the best I have ever felt in my life. I no longer need pharmaceuticals to get me through my days, I have not been sick in over three years and my drive and motivation to show up for not only myself but for anyone who needs support is unmatched. I challenge you to experiment with many different whole foods, add in mindful practices such as yoga, meditation, journaling and breathwork and see how you can change direction to begin the journey from disconnect to devotion.