Monday, January 27, 2014

Things rolling around in my head

Hi All,
It's been a while since I have blogged, but I realized that I had pigeon holed myself in my title.  It's kind of calling my blog red pumps and then wanting to write about all the other things I have in my closet, but I can't because it wouldn't be about red pumps. So I will be adding to ITS ALL ABOUT  GREAT FOOD & COOL SHOES .... And...WHATEVER ELSE IS ROLLING AROUND IN MY HEAD.  That being said:
I graduated in June from the largest nutrition school in the world  "The Institute for Integrative Nutrition" (IIN).

 I am now a Board Certified Holistic Health Coach, with this comes great responsibility to be able to listen to others and to help guide them into making good choices in their life with all aspects including food. Food is what we eat but it is also what can change our moods from happy to angry, associate bad or hurtful feelings, and get us to do crazy things like fall asleep on your honeymoon every time you get into the car as it did me.
Food is a beautiful, magical delicious gift that I believe is meant to be enjoyed. Often times it comforts us, pacifies us, and sometimes even controls us. The key to who we are is often unlocked when we can start to put food into perspective.  I have learned that balance in every aspect of life is often either hindered or enhanced by the foods that we eat. Crazy you may think, I did, until I saw it for myself and learned how to change it so I can now have a much happier existence.

For most of my adult life I was, for lack of a better term a screaming maniac!
Oh, I felt I had my reasons, they were many, varied, and in my view justified!
I had to be taken to the hospital during church one Easter Sunday because I made sure the kids had eaten breakfast, but I didn't, which led me to having a seizure in the second pew from the front. I was carried out in front of the entire congregation, diagnosis: Hypoglycemia, the Dr. said " I don't care what you eat, but you need to eat, you are almost diabetic... Eat!".

I was told at the age of 31 that I was perimenopausal, which means you have all the symptoms of menopause, like hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and you still get your period. Oh the joy! I had been dealing with these symptoms now for nearly 20 years. My husband, and son, who are both saints, were the last two left in the house and had to deal with the crazy lady! I tried just about every holistic remedy I could find to deal with these symptoms which went on until I enrolled in IIN.

At IIN I learned that everything I put in my mouth effects my body, not just my weight, but my mood, sleep, thoughts, relationships, EVERYTHING. Simple, yes, but I never understood putting myself last for everything including healthy food may have been thought of in my mind as sacrificial as a wife and mom but will my family remember me that way or a crazy woman, unfortunatly for me it seems to be the later. * Let me take a side road for a minute and explain. I would never blame my kids for me not taking care of myself, not in a million years! What I am saying is I did not understand nutrition the way I do now, and so rather than giving them the whole apple I knew would end up in the garbage can with only a bite or two out of it, I could have given them half and ate the rest as a snack, or forcing that extra piece of celery with peanut butter on them I could have eaten it later and the same for breakfast, they didn't have to be challenged for who is going to finish the rest, I could have eaten it. I am sure that when most people are confronted with a hungry child just as you were about to eat something you would share it or just give it to them to eat. That seems to be instilled in most parents, grandparents and caregivers, yet by doing that in my case I would then "Get busy and just forget to eat" thus sending my blood sugar plummeting and the screaming maniac would return. Ok side road ended.*

We were on a trip about two years ago with our adult children and I was playing it smart this time, I had packed snacks! Well, there never seemed to be a time to eat so of course my blood sugar dropped and by the time I got to the food, I was slamming doors, mad at my husband for not taking the hints I had been giving him to stop, and then one of the kids said something to the effect of "Some things never change".

Well, I am happy to report that after graduating IIN along with my son and husband, Some things do change. I eat, I do not blame my husband or anyone else for not taking the hint that I am hungry. We have started juicing, so I always have that first thing in the morning to start the day. What I eat now is of a much higher quality of food than I had been eating in the past. If we are going on a road trip now it is about sustainability which I can not get from baked goods, even when I have made them myself, no we are talking fruits, vegetables, and hard boiled eggs for protein, and I would like to add that the last trip we took was a complete success, no meltdowns!

I have always enjoyed learning about nutrition and sharing with others, what I have found through going to IIN is how to apply that knowledge and wisdom to myself.

Do I have it all wired, no. Do I still have some hormonal meltdowns, yes, but now the first thing I do when it starts to happen is think to myself, have I eaten and what was it, is there something I should be eating that I haven't for a while? I had never put that together before. My thinking has become clear again, I don't crave sweets, and I have energy all day long. When you crowd out the bad, processed, and junk food, with the fresh, non-GMO fruits and vegetables and use grass fed local meats the changes are amazing.
If we can have clearer thinking, better sleep, more energy, and do nothing but change our diet with REAL FOOD, no powders, pills, crazy fad diets, WHY NOT? What if our kids and grand kids could be better learners, full of energy, and have fewer "Learning Difficulties" would it be worth a try?

I am learning everyday what does and doesn't work for me. Each person is different, yet we can modify and change to any individual and become successful. Are you ready to make better choices for you and your family?

If I can help anyone who is interested in taking this journey with me then all the better. 

Let's work together to change for the healthier versions of ourselves, I mean really what do we have to loose??


For More Information Contact Toni at: TCummingshealthcoach@gmail.com
Twitter: @TC_HealthCoach

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