Tag: plant based

Growing Wings

“There is freedom waiting for you,

On the breezes of the sky,

And you ask “What if I fall?

Oh but my darling,

What if you fly?”

– Erin Hanson

When I was teaching, I absolutely loved being in the classroom. I was first asked to be an Instructional Coach back in my early years of teaching and didn’t want to leave the classroom. My Principal at the time said to me that within my classroom, I would impact the lives of my students for the year they are with me, maybe beyond. If I stepped outside the classroom and worked with educators, I’d have impact on many more students through this work. In the end, I made the transition and loved it, going on to become a Principal a short time later.

My Principal was right in his advice, sometimes we have to step outside our comfort zone and share our knowledge and learning with others. It has been said, that the knowledge we gain, if not shared or used, is knowledge wasted. That’s one of the reasons I started this blog years ago, as both a source of strength for me on my journey and to engage with others on similar paths. It is through these connections that I both learn and share my learning.

Over the past year, I have engaged in the study of nutrition and wellness. I am now a Certified Wellness Coach. I am finishing up my 200 hour yoga teacher certification to become a Yoga Alliance Certified Yoga Teacher and taking an additional 20 hour course on Somatic Yoga for Therapy. Additionally, I am completing an 8 week deep dive into Whole Food Plant Based Nutrition. I know it sounds like a lot, but I have always been a certified knowledge junkie. I love to learn and would have chosen full time student as my best career! I am now beginning to think of ways I can share my learning with others. I’m developing plans to begin sharing my learning in a more systematic way.

What I believe I can offer to the conversation on health and wellness, is a deeply rooted understanding of what high stress, example, from executive level positions, can do to one’s health and wellness. I have lived through that journey and know that most corporations don’t offer plans, or take into account how to provide continuous systems to address wellness. Merely offering discounts on outside plans, or apps is truly not enough, as most people don’t take advantage of them. I am hesitant to dip my toes in the wellness water, as I feel the imposter syndrome voice raising her voice in my ear, but will push through those doubts.

I’d also like to work with women like me, who have tried many times to get this right and failed. I’ve lived that journey as well, starting over time and again. I have learned so much this past year, that I wish I knew during the past eight years of my health journey. Perhaps I would have had more success along the bumpy road. Perhaps, I was meant to fail over and over to push me to learn more and find my way. Perhaps I am right where I’m supposed to be. Many of you have reached out and shared your connections to my journey and that has fueled me forward. I’d love to get some groups going and will launch one in the coming months on my Instagram page. I will offer fully online groups, as well as in person for local people.

I’d like to deepen the sharing of my personal journey and use that as the vehicle to help others get started. Most of us are afraid to put ourselves out there and ask for help. We fear judgement from others who are in optimal shape and fear we are too far gone to be able to make this journey. I am living proof that it is never too late to try again. I am going to put together some specific content to help others get started on their path to reclaiming their health.

As you know, I am a small steps, big results person. I know full well that if it feels complicated, it likely won’t happen. In the coming months, I’ll be working on building some content and will be sharing information here and on my Instagram page. I hope you’ll take this journey with me in some form. I always learn from your journey and feedback. Even if just one person is helped by something I share, I will consider myself successful.

If you have any questions, feedback, or comments on any of my blogs, reach out to me via email at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog, on Instagram or in the comment section below.

Try Something New

“I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow. When there’s that moment of ‘Wow, I’m not really sure I can do this,’ and you push through those moments, that’s when you have a breakthrough. Sometimes that’s a sign that something really good is about to happen. You’re about to grow and learn a lot about yourself” -Marissa Mayer

As we enter February, we may have lost some of our mojo when it comes to work out promises made at the New Year. The initial excitement about getting into shape may now be starting to wane. I know the crowds at the gym here have started to diminish greatly, as happens every year. It’s the same cycle every year and one that gets even the most well intentioned of us, myself included. This year however, I made a promise to myself that I would not give up on my journey during these cold winter days. This year, I made a promise to myself that I would not have to start over from scratch come spring.

Sometimes when motivation starts to dwindle, trying something new can be just the spark you need to keep going. Switching things up and adding some variety to your routines can be the ticket you to hold on. For me, I have added in very short runs to my week and started a WFPB (whole food, plant based) nutrition course. Both have served to peak my need to learn and grow and push through these moments of wanting to nest in my home under a blanket.

I was not planning to add a plant based certificate to my coursework, but have been struggling with some gut health issues recently. After researching and truly reflecting on it, I felt the time was right to explore my long standing difficulties with getting enough fiber in my diet without supplementation. I have a long history of not loving vegetables and irrational thinking about the sugar found in fruit. I decided it was time to dive deeply into the world of plant based nutrition and felt WFPB was the best place to start. I was definitely not sure I would be able to survive, much less thrive, if I only ate whole plant based foods.

This is my second week of eating WFPB and I must admit that I actually do feel better. I had some diverticulitis symptoms and was beginning to worry, but this week I haven’t felt the nagging pain on my left side following eating. It’s far too soon to tell the true impact, but I am most definitely motivated to keep going. I am excited to continue to learn and try new foods and track my growth in the process.

If you are feeling stuck and losing motivation to eat healthy, workout or do any of the things you loved, consider trying something new and see if it reignites your passion. Is there something you’ve been wanting to do, but haven’t? It can be anything, not just health related items. Have you always wanted to learn to crochet?, Wanted to learn about plant based cooking? Whatever it is, do it! It could be just what you need to climb out of the winter freeze and move into the spring thaw with stronger motivation. 

In my case, I knew my intake of vegetables and fruits was weak. I started thinking about it and researching it. I then took the following steps:

  • Learn – It’s important to engage in the process of learning new information. It is great for your brain and can build excitement around the process, as well as give you the tools you need to try it.
  • Add On – What are you already doing that this new learning will improve? I love to cook and was excited to add new recipes, ingredients and meals to my repertoire. As a health coach, I knew I would interact with clients who have different preferences for their foods and wanted to build a better knowledge around this topic.
  • Connect – Find others who share your passion. One of the blessings of social media is that you can find your tribe as you learn and grow. I found a group of WFPB people who have offered support and ideas as I learn. 
  • Push Through – Decide to do it and really try to stick to it. Focus on progress not perfection and do what you feel you can commit to right now. In my case, I went cold turkey, but that is because I am not working full time. If I was still working, I would have likely committed to add one WFPB meal to each day. 

Whatever you decide to do, give yourself grace. The goal is to spark motivation, not overwhelm yourself. Remember, it’s the small steps that add up to big change, but that won’t happen if we get overwhelmed. For example, if you want to learn to crochet, don’t set out to make an afghan right from the start. It’s likely best to start with making one chain of stitches. Once you have that down, move to making one full square block. Finally, over time you will move to making an afghan blanket. Using these small steps over time, you will hold on to your motivation as you celebrate those successful moments along the way.

I’m excited to hear about your new passions and how they helped motivate you to keep moving forward. Please do reach out to share them with me at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog , on Instagram @reclaiminghealthblog , or in the comment section below.