Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired?

I'll be the first to admit that I'd never given much thought to my health (except when I was sick).  Not athletic, I didn't play any sports in school.  I belonged to a few local gyms but I wasn't what you'd call a regular at any of them.  I suppose, much like everyone else, that I thought I'd address any health issues I had as they came up, but overall being healthy was just something I took for granted.

Then I had a child at age 35. Upon discovering my pregnancy I immediately kicked my 20-year smoking habit.  I began to pay attention to what I ate and I tried to instill healthy eating habits in my child as she grew. Now almost 5, my kid was always a decent eater until she began preschool.  Then she started to ask for the things the other kids would bring to eat: Trix Yogurt. Kid Cuisine meals. Doritos. Every once in a while I'd give in and let her have something like that-against my better judgment-and I could always see a difference in her behavior whenever she ate something full of artificial color or flavor. Believe me, it wasn't a positive difference.

Add all of the above to the present situation of my 86-year-old Grandmother entering a nursing home recently.  In earlier years she was always on the go, so I never thought of her as unhealthy.  But as she grew older and came to rely more on a variety of prescriptions for an array of ailments, I came to recognize the cause-a diet of processed food and little to no exercise.

So here I am, closing in on 40 and observing both ends of the spectrum that I find myself smack in the middle of.  How do I ensure that I, and especially my daughter, don't meet the same fate as my Grandmother?  It is possible to reach your later years in great health – many friends of my Grandmother are the same age but you would think they were at least 10 years younger. I want that for myself, I want that for my child – and I want it for you and your children too. 

This past March I began a year-long course with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and at the end I'll be certified as a Holistic Health Coach. Through this blog I want to take you along on my journey and show you how many different ways you can improve your health and change your life for the better.  Are you with me?