Some days are harder than others

Today is one of those high stress days. For the second week in a row there is a gliche in payroll and I'm not getting paid on time. I've been doing so great in terms of my food choices and no matter what I do I eat so much better than I ever have in the past in terms of the quality of the food I choose and prepare. I eat mostly organic produce and free range or grass fed meats. I try not to eat pasta as a rule. It is something that is a treat. But, now I am feeling like I really want spaghetti for dinner. I know it is a comfort food for me. I think it is ok to eat comfort food on occasion as long as the occasion isn't every day. Sometimes you have to let loose and enjoy life too. The struggle is will it put me totally out of control? Pasta is one of those foods that can pull me down a slippery slope. I haven't had any in two months. So that is the question of the day. Do I allow myself to enjoy a meal of spaghetti or do I wait it out and make sure I'm not just going to go out of control?

Its funny after all this time studying nutrition, applying what I know and seeing results I still struggle with foods that trigger me. I suppose there will never be a day that I don't like spaghetti or bagels. I have fond memories of eating spaghetti with my family. It was one of the meals we had most often. Everyone always loved my mom's spaghetti and I still make a version of what she made from time to time and so does my best friend Jerrie.

So is it a big deal or isn't it? I think I'm going to ride it out and then choose a day that I can have it on so that it isn't on a high stress day feeding my addiction and comforting me once again. :)

Does anyone else ever feel like this? What are your trigger foods?

Real Vibrant Health

I've been interested in health and wellness for as long as I can remember. I have graduated from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and I am a Holistic Health Coach. My interest increased about 15 years ago when my mother was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. Her attitude about it was to take her medicine and make sure she ate on time. They gave her the typical low fat diet (which we now know is a horrible diet for anyone, but especially a diabetic) they were prescribing at the time and that was that. Over the years I have discovered a lot about Type II Diabetes namely that it is reversible. Over the years my mom became more sedentary and her quality of life deteriorated as she became immobile. I could never quite get her to change her ways, a regret I will always carry with me, but what happened to me is a determination to not have the same fate. Mom died in March 2011 at the age of 73. Tina Turner is around the same age. I look at it like I can either have what happened to my mom happen to me or I can be Tina Turner dancing in stilettos. I was told a month after my mother died that I have insulin resistance and that if I didn't make real changes I would develop Type II Diabetes or heart disease as these two diseases go hand in hand. It was devastating and motivating news. I feel lucky to call an expert in nutrition education my doctor, Dr. Mark Hyman, M.D. He was a guest speaker at Integrative Nutrition and one of my favorites.

I chose the name Real Vibrant Health LLC for my business because I think it perfectly describes what I am trying to achieve within my own body. I want to age well and gracefully and feel vibrant as I do. I don't have to buy into the theory that "oh I'm just getting old". Yes, we are all getting older and there is no getting around that, but with diet and yoga we can achieve real vibrant health. Weight loss is a concern for most people as it has been for me but to have real vibrant health it is more than just counting calories. I lost 35 pounds in 2011 and I have about 20 or so more to go. Health is always my first concern though. I intend to use this blog to share with you what I learn, what I myself am struggling with and just document this journey as I continue in my quest for real vibrant health.