This season has been a busy one and I have been hibernating in my office processing weddings, meeting clients and doing the necessary family stuff. I am ready for my vacation in another week!
Through all the photo work, I have also been working with a nutritionist since April. Andrea Moss, Moss Wellness is a holistic nutritionist and a really wonderful gal.
Why a nutritionist you ask?
Well as many of you know I used to be a dancer. I never had food issues, I was just naturally tiny and pretty much ate whatever I wanted. In fact, if I didn’t eat least 6 tacos or a half of a large
pizza pie, my friends questioned my sanity. So, after I stopped dancing, hit my 30′s and had a child, I suddenly gained 15 pounds and could no longer enjoy 6 tacos without it going straight to my thighs. Going to the gym did not help and I HATE the gym….vehemently. Plus I noticed over the last few years I was always tired, had low energy, brain fog, bloating and other stomach ailments. I was basically sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.
This is where Andrea steps in. The first couple sessions we talked about eating better and working out. Two things I did not want to do. After two sessions, I joined her spring cleanse. Here I was thinking water, lemon juice and cayenne pepper was going to be my life for the next 5 days. So I was shocked when she said, “you will have a protein rich breakfast, protein, veggies and rice for lunch and dinner. Plus snacks like veggies, nuts and hummus.” That sounds like stuffing your face not cleansing. She said “let’s focus for just a minute on what you are not having, no eggs, no dairy, no bread, no sugar, no processed food, no wheat, no caffeine and no alcohol.” After 3 days, I felt amazing!!! No bloating, no brain fog, no stomach problems, no sniffling and lots of energy. Everyone mentioned that I was glowing and looked thinner. Even if people were just trying to be nice, I felt like I was glowing.
At the end of the 5 days, Andrea suggested that I may have a gluten sensitivity so to try introducing it back into my diet just to see what happened. I mean that was really what the cleanse was for to see how foods affected me. So the next day I ate french bread, my all time favorite. It was fresh out of the bakery oven, warm, crusty and oh so yummy. As I was eating it, I could my stomach turn to lead. Within 30 minutes, I was so tired I had to go to bed. Within a few hours all those terrible ways I was feeling manifested themselves. I discovered I have a gluten sensitivity. I immediately cut out all gluten. Over the last few months I have broken down 4-5 times and had something like oatmeal, pizza, a cupcake and it has been a disaster. I feel so awful I don’t want to have gluten ever again.
Yesterday was my last session with Andrea. It was bitter sweet because I looked forward to our bimonthly meetings. She brought out a little certificate that had a place to write everything I had achieved over the last few months working with her. 15?!? I do not have 15 things I achieved. I was so busy working and caught up in the everyday minutia of life, I did not have anytime to achieve anything. WRONG! Andrea sat down with me and went over everything I began with in April, my ailments, my goals, my concerns and made me realize I actually achieved a lot of what I set out to do. I am now gluten free, I got rid of all my stomach issues, regulated and boosted my energy and started working out again. I discovered that working out is not just the gym but the walk around the block, the dance class or the yoga I do in my living room. Becoming gluten free has triggered some other ideas for future projects, blog posts and adventures I would never have discovered. I am also rediscovering some long lost passions. The biggest thing I learned….
Go see Andrea, she’ll fix what ails you.
Actually what I really wanted to say was take little steps, join forces with other people to get an outside perspective and own your little successes. I had not realized all the little things that happened over the last few months. I did not acknowledge all the steps I had taken. So when going through your days, take a minute to acknowledge yourself. Allow other people in, allow them to help you acknowledge your little successes. I guarantee you will begin to enjoy life a little more and you will be more open to opportunities that present themselves.
I will be starting a regular blog post about everything I am learning being gluten free and I would love to hear about your own little successes or struggles with being gluten free.
Own your little successes because they grow up to be big ones.
