Why am I so interested in health? Because we are an overfed, undernourished, sick society. If we make some simple changes in lifestyle, we can get well and teach our children how to get well without unnecessary trips to the doctor. I am living proof. I grew up in a loving atmosphere with nurturing parents, family and friends. Yet, from an early age, I struggled with my weight and, as a result, my self-confidence. I battled clinical depression for my teen and early adult years. My doctors nor I ever considered that the food I was eating could be my poison (or my medicine). I learned good coping mechanisms to help maintain a functional life. I found success with acupuncture, a good psychologist and sometimes medication. Gratefully, I even made several good choices while battling depression — like maintaining strong family and friend bonds and meeting a great guy to live my life with! Yet, I secretly felt terrible about how I felt and looked and it affected me greatly in mood and energy.
After I had my first child, I made a new friend, (and now fellow IIN health coach Molly O'Neil of mPoweringhealth.com), who noticeably took good care of herself through nutrition and exercise. She never lectured me to do the same but was a role model and cheerleader, lifting me up when I tried a new class or laughing with me when I tried one of her "healthy" muffins and made a face. It was a slow start but I got hooked at a mommy boot camp once a week, which was not only great to get me moving but became a social outlet for me as well. The first few weeks I felt uncomfortable in my own skin and embarrassed that I couldn’t quite keep up. I stayed as far away from those floor to ceiling mirrors as possible. Yet, I kept going back and really got more engaged and felt a part of the group, and even discovered a sort of happiness high from it. With my second pregnancy, I continued to make an effort to stay active. I gained confidence and felt more alive. My husband, family and friends were extremely supportive. I definitely value supportive relationships and know it has pushed me to stay on track.
