Second Lesson In Finding My Health

I may have to make this one short and sweet, because it may freak most of you out!! The second best lifestyle change I made this past fall... another drum roll please... I cut all caffeine!

You did WHAT?!?

Is usually the response I get, especially since I get up at 4:15 most mornings. No but seriously, I stopped drinking caffeine in October last year. To this day, I am so happy I did. Don't get me wrong, it was not easy, and I really missed that early morning pick me up, but not for long. 

Within 10 days I was already feeling the positive effects of tossing my morning joe. I feel so much better. I don't get the mid morning or mid afternoon crash like I used to. I sleep better and deeper. Brain fog frequently visited me around 9:30 or 10:00 am, now it is a rare occurrence, I am actually more alert. I rarely have the feeling of being dehydrated anymore. Which happened to me a lot when I was drinking caffeine, as it is a diuretic and dehydrates you. 

I'm not sure why I decided to cut my caffeine. Something in my gut just kept putting the idea into my head over and over again. So I decided to honor it.

Before I was ready to fully accepted my inevitable path, I started drinking half- caff around August. Just that tiny change started making a difference, therefore capturing my whole interest.

I love something warm to drink in the morning, whether it's hot or cold outside. The ritual of sipping it while getting ready, I was not willing to let that go. But I had always heard that decaf coffee was worse for you because it contains so many chemicals. So I did my research and found some fantastic alternatives. 

First of all, most organic decaf coffee is decaffeinated through a Swiss Water Process. This removes the caffeine through a 100% chemical free process, leaving only the yummy taste! I've tried a couple different brands, some are good, some are just so so.

My favorite so far is Lucky Goat Coffee Co. Lucky Mountain Decaf (Tallahassee, FL) and Newman's Own Organics Newman's Special Decaf. Newman's Own comes in K-cups which is very convenient. But the Lucky Goat has the best flavor.

Second, I have always loved tea, but now I am becoming a tea connoisseur. Thanks to one of my awesome clients, I was introduced to rishi and it's amazing Turmeric Ginger. If you love iced tea, Tazo makes a fantastic herbal tea called iced passion. Since the warmer weather is headed our way, I will be making this tea by the pitcher soon. Some more of my favorite brands are The Republic of Tea, Yogi Tea, and Higher Living. If you have a TJ Maxx or Homegoods near you, they have a fantastic selection of organic teas on sale! Gotta love it!

Going caffeine free is not for everyone. But, I highly suggest looking at how much caffeine you are consuming during the day, merely to make sure you are not dehydrating yourself. Keeping my morning ritual meant a lot to me, and I was able to keep it while making better choices for my health. 

Listen to your body, honor what it may be telling you. 

First Lesson In Finding My Health

Growing up, I was very allergic to dairy. Can I begin to tell you how hard it was not being able to eat things like Mac N Cheese and Pizza as a kid?! I would get so sick when I would spend the night at a friends house, because I wanted to eat the same things they were eating. And let me tell you, kids have it so much easier now days with all the awesome dairy free options out there. 

When I was going through puberty everything just seemed to change. I was like a bottomless pit, eating anything and everything all the time. Nothing bothered me, at least not to my knowledge. Then I hit my late teens/early twenties and everything REALLY changed again... 

I was exhausted, irritable, bloated, hungry all the time, food went right through me, and my skin was horrible. Anxiety started to visit it me frequently, and I just knew none of this was me. I started to get really skinny and frail looking when I was about 23 years old. 

I battled feeling pretty ill until I found out that I was allergic to gluten! I finally cut it completely out of my diet when I was 26, and boy did I feel better. I thought I had finally found the culprit! That is... until I was 28 and my health started to decline, again. Not again!! Stomach aches, migraines, skin irritations, light headedness, blurred vision, fatigue, achy, and sore muscles just seemed to be a daily occurrence. Even my legs were swelling and looked like I had gained 10 lbs in each of them by the end of the day. Complete chaos. 

See the thing is, through all of my health issues all these years, I never addressed the real root of my problems, and that was my gut health.

This past summer I was part of an opportunity that changed my life, and it is my number one lesson is finding my health. 

I did an elimination diet that specifically targets inflammation in the body. Slowly eliminating foods that can trigger inflammatory responses in your gut, and focusing on clean and healing foods that nourish, replenish, and heal your system. Foods like cruciferous vegetables, leafy greens, and berries.

Without going too far in depth into the program, I'm going to tap on a couple key points. If you want to know more please don't hesitate to call Live Young Studio in Thomasville, Georgia. And no this is not a sales pitch, because this really changed my life.

I was able to start healing my body from the inside out. My skin is clear, my stomach never bothers me anymore, and my legs stopped swelling. I realized there were a lot of foods I was eating all the time that were really bothering me. There were foods I was staying away from because I thought they were bad me, that I should have been eating. 

Eggs were a big deal. I had been eating at least two every single day for years. Once I cut these bad boys out, I felt a whole heck of a lot better. The crazy thing, I was eating really good organic eggs! 

Since I did the program in July and August I have only been getting better. For a while there were a ton of foods that I couldn't eat. Now, since I have been eating foods to nourish me, paired with the right supplements, I am able to eat so much more. 

The only foods I stay completely away from now are gluten containing grains, cow dairy, eggs, oranges, and black beans. There's so much I can eat again!

The past seven months have been the best I have felt since I can't remember when. My body is regulating better in all areas! It is so important to heal our bodies from the inside out, and to know that everyone is different. I am still not 100% better, but pretty darn close. 

My next journey is going to be one that I never ever in a million years thought I would do, but here it is, drum roll please.... I am doing Meatless March! Ha! I came up with that on my own. There is so much research out there about how hard animal protein is for your stomach to digest, not to mention the acidity in it. Since I am still trying to heal my stomach and gut, why not take a new journey and just see for myself! 

 

The Pilates Way

"To achieve the highest accomplishments within the scope of our capabilities in all walks of life we must constantly strive to acquire strong, healthy bodies and develop our minds 
to the limits of our ability." 

-Joseph Pilates

I've been in the fitness industry professionally since 2007, officially ten years! But I have been working in health and fitness clubs since I was 17 years old; front desk, life guarding, and teaching four year olds to float and blow bubbles!

When I was a Senior in high school, I had 6th-8th period off my second semester. That means I was out of school by 12:15 every day! I was never the girl to spend my time shopping or watching TV. I would instead go straight to the gym and lift weights for about an hour. Then I would go home, get a snack, do my homework, and either head to softball practice or work.

In college I played softball for three years, lifting and sweating my everything off. Constantly working out! When I had retired from softball I got really into running. I did couple half marathons, but mostly losing myself in my music on the treadmill.

Then the running stopped because it was killing my knees. I was working as a Personal Trainer at this point and started to further my education. I've spent many hours going to seminars, studying new methods, reading about nutrition, and obtaining more certifications. I was always looking for the next "thing" to learn about. Finding that I was never really satisfied with my new knowledge, I kept searching for more.

Like there was an answer to my questioning, although I wasn't sure what my question was... I contemplated grad school for a long time, but could never pinpoint the area I wanted to study.

All I knew was exercise is who I am, it was all I had ever known.

This is when my health started to decline. Exercise began to physically and mentally exhaust my body and it hurt all the time. I was constantly sore and fatigued. I tried every different kind of exercise I thought possible. The kicker was, not exercising made me feel just as miserable.

NOTHING seemed to make my body feel any better and I knew there was something I was missing. What was even more upsetting, once again, was the fact that I was the professional.... Why hadn't I found the answer? As I was getting more weak and tired, those feelings of being ashamed were bubbling up daily.

In the fall of 2015 I was offered a job at a wellness studio. Up to this point, I had only worked in health clubs and gyms. It is a Pilates based studio, owned by a physical therapist. My boss and owner wanted to expand and hire a personal trainer to aid in the wellness program she had created.

I went to the studio that following Saturday and took my first Pilates class and fell in LOVE!

Four months later I started my journey and training on the Pilates Reformer, it changed my life. I have been studying and teaching Pilates now for a year. It has been the answer to so many of my questions.

Not only does my body feel good after I do Pilates; I feel energized, taller (I know crazy right?!), and more aligned. I am not crazy sore all over like I used to be. My fatigue is healthy and muscular, not mental and painful. Pilates gave me the ability to understand what my body needed, where it is moving in space, and to find happiness in my own skin.

I have the energy to lift weights again. My body responds better to the hard work outs and soaks up every leg circle possible. Remember, working out and taking charge of your health should feel good. It may not be easy, but when the day is done you should honor and love the journey you've accepted as your own.

* me doing Candlestick on the Pilates Trapeze table

Pilates has challenged my mind, body, and spirit. It is what I had been searching for, for so many years. I am so thankful for the people who have believed in me and took me where I am today. The best part, I have finally found my calling! No more wondering what's next in my career, at least not for now! I have completely thrown myself into everything Pilates and am super excited to get more of these certifications under my belt!

"Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness. Our interpretation of physical fitness is the attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind fully capable of naturally, easily, and satisfactorily performing our many and varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure." 

-Joseph Pilates

If you need help, or are also searching for answers, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. I have spent many years coaching women and men to find what is right for their bodies.

Happy

"You are a one-of-a-kind blessing of Joy." Zephaniah 3:17

In August 2015, I started a new job. Little did I know the immense amount of growing I was about to do emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. And this was only the beginning.

Although I was super excited about my new job, I needed to find a little happiness and encouragement. I was in the midst of fighting all my ailments and feeling pretty poor about myself. I was about to be the small fish in a big pond! Nervous was kind of an understatement. 

One of my favorite things to do is go to the grocery store. CRAZY.... I know. I am so my mothers daughter! But really, I love to take a drive down to Tallahassee and go to Whole Foods or Trader Joes.  

I was searching for answers to why I felt so bad all the time. Why wasn't I more proud of myself for all the hard work that got me to this moment? When was I going to find contentment, let alone joy and happiness?

So, to ease my nerves, I made a trip down to Whole Foods, and of course Starbucks, the weekend before my first Monday in the new studio. As I've stated before, I am not much of a shopper. For some reason, I parked in a totally different spot in the parking lot then usual; making me walk past some of the cute boutiques that neighbor the grocery store.

As I walk down the sidewalk, a shirt catches my eye in the store window:

happy

It was perfect. It was like God reached down, and gave me a giant hug. For the moment, all my fears and worries melted away. It then struck me that I had been given this amazing opportunity to grow in my career, learn from one of the best, and they picked me! Why was I being so hard on myself when there were blessing all around me?

Life is always going to throw curve balls your way. It is possible to find happiness in the smallest places. The key is to always be open to finding and accepting happiness in all forms. Being happy, even when times are hard, brings joy. You are one of a kind, and blessed. Appreciate what you have. Be confident in yourself, acknowledge all the little blessing, and open your eyes to gifts around you. 

The Journey

It has officially been two and half years since I last posted. My last two years have been tough. Mentally and physically.

I have suffered from sever food allergies, my whole life. As the years have gone by, I felt like my health just kept taking turns for the worst. More food groups seemed to bother me, along with other "strange symptoms" like rashes, migraines, and some other stuff you don't want to know... haha!

I kept thinking, "how can I be writing a blog about health and fitness when I feel like crap?!" Nothing seemed to help me feel better.

Not only was I embarrassed to admit I didn't feel well, I was ashamed. How could I call myself a fitness professional when I didn't want to and couldn't find the energy to work out. People look up to me to be their example, cheerleader, and inspiration. I could barely put a smile on my face somedays.

I started eating an Auto-Immune Paleo (AIP) diet last January, in search of answers and healing. I even got the point where coffee made me feel bad, that was not the day you wanted to be around me! I LOVE coffee... and chocolate.

The diet and research did make me feel better. Slightly. But, the AIP research all said, do not work out! WHAT? My mind and soul craved for me to suck it up and sweat it out. But my heart and body told me no.

Well, after many tired, sick, and emotional days... I finally sought help. Janine is her name. She is my life saver. I am a "rare case" she tells me. Haha! I kept asking her, "How can someone who has taken such good care of their body be so dang sick?!" She says, "the human body is an amazing machine, and I should feel blessed that I listened to and acknowledge my symptoms."

After one year of seeing her, I am soooo much better than I was, but it is still a heavy and constant battle. I think we sometimes we do it all wrong. You have to take care of yourself from the inside out.

I am not seeing her anymore, but am very into taking supplements and listening to my body. I will dive into what I am doing now that has changed my life in blogs to come. But first, here are a couple valuable lessons I've learned and would like to share with you:

1. It is OK to be vulnerable to yourself.
2. A journey of health and fitness come in many different forms.
3. Listen to your body.
4. Find peace with reality.

I have changed my whole attitude towards Health and Fitness. Being happy in your own skin, feeding your soul, feeling good about yourself, that's what is important.

Don't worry too much, I have many more recipes, tips, thoughts, and work outs coming your way again!