You can't turn on the TV, drive down the road or go to a party without being confronted with America's hottest obsession: weight. Diets are a billion-dollar industry; companies spend millions and millions luring you to try the latest diet (low carb, high protein, low fat, no fat, you name it) with promises that this will (finally!) be the solution-your shortcut to a thinner body. Advertising efforts also deeply affect our children, who develop distorted body images and are often on diets as early as nine or 10 years of age. 
 
Our culture touts diet pills, celebrity workouts, convenience foods and trendy diets to help us achieve our desired weight, but these quick-fix solutions have backfired. America's populace has reached its highest weight in history. About half of Americans are overweight; one-third are obese. Diets steer us away from our common sense and dip deeply into our pocketbooks while eliciting few, if any, lasting results.
 
Diets don't work because each person is unique, with different needs based on gender, age, ancestry and lifestyle; how could one diet be right for everyone? Diets don't work because they are extreme solutions. As in physics, if a pendulum swings to one extreme, it has to swing equally to the other. A diet might work for a short amount of time, but research shows that almost all diets result in a 10-pound gain once off the diet. Diets don't work because they are too restrictive. People who fail on diet plans are not flawed or weak. Diets by nature require discipline and restriction at levels that are unsustainable by a healthy human body.
 
Most people are disconnected from why they gain weight and see diet as the only culprit. For example, ignoring or discounting emotions is often the first thing to cause weight imbalances. In our fast-paced world, we have lost sight of many aspects of life that truly nourish and balance our bodies, such as slowing down, spending time in nature, eating home-cooked meals and spending quality time with loving people and pets. Eating consciously and making simple lifestyle changes will create positive results and release you from the endless cycle of dieting.
 
Given half a chance, your body will balance out by itself, but this is only possible by getting out of the diet mentality and listening to what you truly need. Imagine taking all of the outward energy you expend on diets, fads and gimmicks and turning it inward, so that you can listen to your heart and inner wisdom. There is no such thing as a quick fix; you already have everything you need within you. With careful thought and loving reflection, you can feed yourself in a nourishing way. Working with your body rather than against it will bring you increased energy, stabilized weight and sustainable health.

After more than 16 years in corporate Change Management, I decided to follow my passion to help others more directly. A vegetarian since the age of 14 (and a Southern vegetarian at that!), I've been an advocate of conscious living for some time. Delving more deeply into nutrition seemed natural and an ideal way to help others, especially given the current health crisis that is creating so much inconvenience and pain. As the late astronomer and educator Carl Sagan said, "we are made of star stuff." Literally, we are organic beings made from the same elements that make up the universe and to regenerate we need organic materials. We need to eat foods our bodies recognize. We are doing ourselves a great disservice by consuming all of the artificial, synthetic junk-food made available to us by desensitized, profit-hungry corporations. There is a time and place for packaged food and pharmaceutical drugs, but they should be last resorts - not how we live on a daily basis. Our bodies can heal themselves when given adequate amounts of organic vitamins and minerals. These essential elements are best assimilated through whole foods rather than synthetic versions. I look forward to sharing ways to live healthier lives through these newsletters and my counseling services.    

I received my certification to practice Health Counseling at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, have completed the Food As Medicine course through The Center For Mind/Body Medicine, and graduated from the Natural Kitchen Cooking School as a Natural Foods Chef.  I am also a certified personal trainer and incorporate exercise into my counseling services. Come join our running group in Myers Park every Mon/Wed/Fri morning at 6:30 a.m.  Beginners are welcome! Contact me for details.

I offer a complimentary one-hour health consultation. If you or someone you know needs support, I'd love to hear from you to see how I can help. Just complete the confidential Health History form located in the bottom right-hand corner of my website and we'll meet to discuss your specific health goals.

Sincerely,