Beauty in Strength

Hello everyone, and Happy Sunday!  It is a bright and sunny day outside today, with temps a bit warmer than usual. I plan on completely soaking up this mid-January treat (especially since it’s supposed to drop into the 20′s the rest of this week), but first I want to get in a workout and finish up some school work.

Friday I had mentioned that I was loving my first week of study for my certification in nutrition, health, and wellness, and yesterday I mentioned that I was completing up some school work for the week.  I also promised more to come on that soon.  Soon = today.

Now you may remember that back in the end of November I had received my acceptance letter to begin school in the Spring 2013 semester to become an R.D.  Well, after much research, meditation, prayer, and self-reflection, I realized I wanted to pursue a similar yet different path – a path that I am extremely passionate about and will grant me greater congruity with who I am in my heart and soul to who I am in my everyday life.

I knew that I wanted to pursue a degree in nutrition with the goal to actively educate and guide others in becoming happy and healthy as they live off of natural, organic, and sustainable foods instead of fast food and food production.   Originally, I believed that becoming a registered dietitian (RD) would allow me to achieve that goal.

An RD typically goes through five years of an undergraduate college career before completing a more than 1,200 hour, unpaid internship in a hospital and then taking the RD exam. Although it is a very long and difficult process, there are benefits to becoming an RD such as many options in the job market, a great salary, and a high-quality education.  As I researched more about becoming an RD, I realized that the clinical setting is not for me.  While I have the upmost respect for those in the field, my aspirations include coaching the individual as a whole in regards to nutrition, physical exercise and activity, and emotional, mental, and spiritual health and wellness.  When I clarified my intentions in my mind and heart, I realized the path I want to pave for myself is to become a Health and Wellness Coach with a certification in Integrative Nutrition.

As a Health and Wellness Coach, I can work in so many places: weight loss clinics, non-profit organizations, health and wellness centers, nursing homes, hospitals, food service operations (i.e. schools, restaurants), food companies (i.e. marketing and sales, nutrient analysis), gyms or fitness studios, various writing jobs, etc.  I can even open my own practice!

As I completed my first module this week, I am SO excited to watch my lectures, listen to the audio lectures, complete my readings and assignments, and study, and I am really looking forward to applying everything I am learning.  Not only is the material scientifically interesting and medically informative, but it also matches my moral and personal beliefs.  With food related disease being the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, I believed it would be hypocritical for me to pursue a degree that supports specific government policies, government programs, and various operations, corporations, and communities that I feel are harming our present day society.  As a Health and Wellness Coach I will instead be playing a crucial role in improving health AND happiness, and through that process creating a ripple effect that transforms society and ultimately the world.

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As a Health and Wellness Coach, one core concept that underpins my philosophy is bio-individuality.  There is no one diet fits all diet.  There are different ways of eating, and we need to create personalized approaches to food.  Another, is the idea of primary food.  We are not only nourished by the food on our plates but also by the energy in our lives.  Healthy relationships, regular physical activity, spiritual practice, and a fulfilling career feed our souls and our health.

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As I gain knowledge, I hope to share this gift with clients as well as others around me, playing an active role in changing our planet that is in crisis and continuing to worsen.  By inspiring others to live healthy, active lives, nurturing and nourishing their bodies, minds, and souls, others will become inspired as well by guidance and by example.

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Health and nutrition is a field that is constantly growing and changing, and I am ecstatic to be a part of it!   I know that one of my talents is communicating with others, especially one-on-one, so through certified nutrition counseling and health and wellness coaching, I hope to truly change lives – children, teens, adults, and the elderly.  While I absolutely love my current job of teaching, fusing my passions for nutrition, fitness, and overall wellness is absolutely a dream I look forward to pursuing.  The sky is the limit!

Question of the Day:  Where do hope for more guidance in your life  - body, mind, or soul?

Quote of the Day: “Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.” – Mark Twain