The Evolution of Change...

Well, it's been almost a month since I have been in here writing. Life has been busy and my brain has had serious writer's block, even though I have had plenty to write about. Over the last 4 weeks I have done a lot of traveling. I have been to Chicago 4 times as well as Denver and Fort Collins, CO. The traveling isn't over yet. I will have three more trips to Chicago in the next three weeks and we are hoping to take the kids on a "last hoorah trip of the summer" to Bachelor Gulch, CO and stay in the mountains for a few days.

I have been doing a lot of thinking and processing since I have started up school again. This program I am in is so thought provoking and interesting. I am learning more and more about myself each and every day and I since I have really dove into the curriculum, I have found that I have become addicted to it. I can't walk away.

One of the things I have been contemplating is this blog and where I want to go with it (hence the lack of writing). It originally started when I needed an outlet to write and heal from trauma in my marriage, and record the growth from the experiences we had had within that. Of course there were posts about the kids and changes going on in our lives, but I think it all fit. However, I feel like my life is in another transition and I want to turn to writing about that. Do I start a new blog for that or do I continue to stick with this one and continue to record the journey?

Eventually, I want to have a blog for my clients to go to for information on health and balance and good design within their lives. Does writing about that fit in here? This blog started out pretty raw. Do I want my clients and their curiosity to go back and read some of the posts I have in here about my struggles? Does it matter? I have plenty of strangers in here already reading my story over the past two years.

I love the title of my blog. I think it fits perfectly with where I am taking myself and my career right now. And the idea of being transparent to my clients about where I have been and how I got to where I am today is intriguing to me. It's that transparency that will make me human to them. Proof that I am not perfect, that I make mistakes too and struggle with many of the same things they do. How could I possibly be a good heath and lifestyle counselor if I project an image of perfection? I doubt people will take me seriously...someone like that usually turns me off. But what if I lose credibility for my imperfections? No I'm not perfectly proportioned and skinny and in the best shape and health of my life. Yes, I want to be. Yes, I want to be able to "walk my talk" to be taken seriously. I am searching for the balance.

So I continue to work on myself and the journey I am on. I am aggressive in some ares of my life and non-chalant in others. I have set things aside that were once "the answer" to my problems and have walked away from them for awhile. Some things have a place in my life in the future, but now is not the time to be focusing on them. I have no idea where I am going right now. I feel like I am in a whirlwind of change...a constant state of transition. I am trying to embrace it and go with it and look forward to where I will land.

I think I will stick with this blog...there are so many other changes going on right now, and this can be my constant. A place to voice and be heard, to support and be supported. I am still unsure if this will be where I direct my clients in the future. But I may practice a few articles and ideas and tidbits here with you. And I encourage all my "stalkers" and silent readers (I know who a lot of you are!) to begin to speak up and leave comments and feedback to help guide the voice of this blog to where it also needs to land.

Fitness Friday: It's Not Rocket Science...

"Share your top three (or five) health and fitness tips..." is the assignment today for Fitness Friday. Well, I don't know that I have a top three or five, but I will give you what I think are the best...and then call them mine... :)

1. DRINK WATER!!! This is actually my number one tip. Don't try to fuss about it, figure out if flavored is OK, does tea count?, etc....just drink the darn water....1/2 your body weight in oz. per day. No excuses.
2. MOVE! You can't be healthy or fit if you don't exercise. You have to move. So get out there and exercise!
3. REST!! It is a proven fact (somewhere, I think) that if you don't allow your body enough time to rest, it makes it virtually impossible to lose weight. So go to bed earlier and aim for 8 hrs of shut eye a night! Your body will thank you :)
4. KNOW WHAT YOU EAT! It has also been shown that if you journal what you are eating on a daily basis, you will be much more successful in losing weight. That's right, write it down. Get a food journal, a sticky note, a notepad, whatever, just write down every morsel that goes into your mouth....every single bite. You will see right away just how much you are eating and where changes need to be made. Chances are, soon, you won't want to write something down you ate and you will pass it up if you know it has to go on record on paper.
5. PRAY!!! This is the most important tip. Seek HIM first in all that you do and ask for wisdom, endurance, and discipline. God will answer your prayers. And don't have your own expectations as to how those will be answered. Keep your eyes open and your ears listening to see where and how those prayers are being answered. With God involved, success is inevitable!

So there you have my "Top Five Health and Fitness Tips". Sound easy? It is! Being healthy is not rocket science. We all know what we are supposed to do and what our bodies need. We just need to DO IT!! Have a good week everyone :) Happy Fitness Friday!

Medical School

Dear Family and Friends and Bloggy Friends,

I have some exciting news to share with all of you.  My career is taking a bit of a twist and turn at the moment.  I have enrolled myself in Medical School!!  OK, not really medical school, but it may as well be.  I am currently enrolled in the largest nutrition school in the world, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, located in New York City, where I will be trained to be a certified holistic health counselor and become a member and affiliate of the AADP (American Association of Drugless Practitioners).

IIN is a unique school and program as it does not teach just one dietary theory.  It teaches over 100 different theories with the purpose of letting  Americans know that there is no one way of eating that fits everyone.  The whole program is based on bio-individuality - we are all unique persons and made differently.  It also teaches the concept of primary foods, the bridge between nutrition and personal growth and development, which are not foods  we eat, but foods that nurture who we are and balance us as a person in our career, spirituality, relationships and physical selves.  The mission of IIN is to play a crucial role in improving health and happiness of Americans, and through that process, create a ripple effect that transforms the world!  Sound interesting??  It is!  And I am so excited and honored to now be a part of this movement :)

This is quite a change from interior design, I know!  However, my goal and intention is to incorporate this with my current design business to help as many people as I can.  As a health counselor I will also be incorporating my design background into my practice.  Our environments play as big of a role in our health as does the nutrition.  The condition of where we eat, sleep, work, play, etc. needs to be calm, clean, peaceful and nurturing.  Our environments need to feed and nurture us, just like food.  What will make my practice unique is that I can utilize the knowledge I have from my education and experience in working in design to take the healing process of my clients one step further in their lives by helping them "heal" their environments as well as their bodies!  My interior design business, Pineapple House Design, will remain in tact as well, and I will continue with those projects as they come and my time allows.

This is going to be an amazing year of my life!  It is going to be busy, time consuming and hectic at times.  There will be many events and get togethers, emails and phone calls, and blog posts I may miss.  But please bear with me and send your encouragement and support.  Pray with me and for me that I can be one of the greatest health counselors out there, helping individuals, communities, and even corporations transform their lives (And maybe yours?) as well.  When this year is over, my life and the lives of my family will be forever changed by what I will be learning.  Keep an eye on me...you will see an amazing transformation happen!!

Thank you for sharing in this adventure with me with your support, prayer, encouragement, and love.  I look forward to sharing with each and every one of you how the process is going and what I am learning!

Please get back in touch with me and let me know what is new and good in your life, as well!!

Fitness Friday...Literary Edition

Well, it's Friday, and you all know what that means around here! Fitness Friday, of course!! This week, Brenda is leaving the posting topic up to us with the option of using "Literary Inspiration." I'll do both! Brenda asks which books, bible verses, articles, etc. have helped or inspired us on our fitness journey. This is a hard question for me to answer because there are SO many! For starters, I do a bible study called First Place 4 Health every Thursday morning with a group of women from a church in our area. Every week the studies are awesome and really challenge me to think about my choices and encourage me to put God first in everything. Without God, I cannot be successful on this journey. Love it! Also, I have my nose in all of my school materials right now while studying to be a health counselor to others. So every day I am reading about nutrition and life balance. It's hard not to be inspired by it and of course I want to "walk the talk" if I am going to counsel others to be healthy and make changes in their lives. And right now, I don't exactly look like a heath counselor :) I'm working on that, though, and I intend to be a good example to my clients!

This week, I really didn't do a whole lot more than previous weeks for my fitness improvements. We have been moving, and I have been battling allergies which has pretty much wiped me out. My husband and I have taken a few walks around our new neighborhood downtown, which we love! We also had our first CSA pickup this week and I have a fridge full of fresh veggies from our farmers...bok choy, scallions, chives, and lettuce. I am going to make an asparagus salad with them and stir fry the bok choy with some brown rice. Even before the CSA pickup, I was making a lot of veggies this week so that was a good addition to the diet.

Now that summer is here and school is out, I feel like I can put myself into a new routine, which should help. I have a meeting scheduled with myself today to plan, plan, plan! I will be putting together the calendar of events, activities, studying time for me, and also workout time. Everything will be mapped out so that I have some structure, as will the kids, going into next week. I really intend to kick it into high gear now. I'm tired of wasting time, making excuses, and feeling like a failure!

My goals for the next week are to plan the summer schedule for big things as well as for the little daily things like making time to exercise. I also intend to do my bible study daily and memorize our scripture verse. I also do not want to waste any of the veggies we have so I am going to continue to be adding them to our meals until they are gone! And lastly, to exercise. I need to add that back in to my daily routine.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and productive week! Happy Fitness Friday and beginning of the summer :)

Food Affects Mood...

For the past week or so, I have finally been cooking my own meals instead of eating out (we have been moving). I have noticed my moods have been stable during this time as well. Yesterday we brought Krispy Kreme donuts into the house as a treat for the kids...yea...for "the kids." Anyways, today I ate leftover donuts for a snack and then proceeded through my afternoon without anymore nourishment. I left the house to do some work this evening at my office without eating dinner. And then when I was waiting to pick up one of the kids from an activity I had 20 minutes to spare and drove through McDonald's because I was starving! Now I am grumpy...just plain grumpy. And I know why.

When you eat healthy foods, you feel good. When you eat unhealthy food, you don't feel good. It's as simple as that.

Fitness Friday: The Anything Edition

It's been a busy week! I haven't posted since last Friday...and it's because I haven't had a whole lot to share from my thoughts since my thoughts were mostly consumed with being tired and not feeling well!

Last weekend we began moving into our house. My hubby and I moved all the big furniture ourselves...instead of spending $1000 on hiring movers. It was hard work but so worth it in the end. And I got great exercise!

We have slept here for three nights. The first night I had an allergy/asthma attack. I went to see my naturopath and he gave me some remedies to try. Since then I have been feeling better. Thank goodness! But I still think I need to replace all the carpet to get the remainder of cat dander out of this house so I can breath easy again. I should have known. I've had to replace carpet in every house I have ever moved into that has had pets. Darn allergies.

I've had no formal fitness this week other than moving. But that is taking a lot of energy. We are finally cooking meals again so that is awesome, especially since my body is craving home cooked food.

I have another busy week this week. My goals are to keep unpacking and organizing and eat at home...unless out on a date. My CSA distribution also starts this week so on Tuesday I will have a load of fresh veggies in the house. Yea! This is the last week of school, so I am also going to be planning the summer schedule, which will include time for me to work out at the gym :)

Happy Fitness Friday everyone! Stop over to Brenda's place if you'd like to join in!

Fitness Friday...The Weather Edition

So this week for Fitness Friday we are to talk about how we need to change things up with the change of seasons. Here in Michigan, the weather is wonderful in the spring and summer. It is rarely too hot to exercise outside. There are days when it is very humid and hot and it would not be recommended, though. They just don't happen for months on end like in the desert! So on those days, I go to the air conditioned gym. Same for the winter time. When it is too cold to be outside, I work out at the gym. I am blessed to be able to have that option!!

I didn't really do outstanding on my goals this week. This move thing we have going on has been extended again. The house we are moving into is almost ready for us. All I have to do is clean the floors. But the closing on the house we are selling keeps getting extended so we are in some serious limbo. It's stressful. With that being said, the meal planning hasn't been there and the extra exercise outside of cleaning hasn't been there either. My goal for this week is to get our house closed on and move and get resettled so we can all get back into a "routine" for the last two weeks of school. Please pray it happens that way!

Hope everyone has a great week! If you want to read more Fitness Friday fun, head over to Karly's blog today since she is hosting for Brenda! Thanks Karly!