Blog

Bear with me on this post. If you’re vegan, disregard. If you’re squeamish with raw meat and/or with the thought of picking bones out of a fish, you might want to steer clear. Then again, I thought I was too… until I tried this! So maybe trust your health coach for a moment here?

I have started a six-week cleanse that Mark Hyman, MD shares in his book, “The Blood Sugar Solution." It’s a fantastic book about lowering your risk for obesity, diabetes, thyroid problems, hormonal imbalances, and what interested me most, inflammation.

Last week was the beginning of my town’s farmers market! You have no idea how excited this makes me… but do you remember that feeling you got as a kid on Christmas morning? Yeah, it’s kind of like that.

I live in a small town with not much of anything, so for organic produce, I usually drive 45 to 50 minutes to the closest Whole Foods or Trader Joes. The farmers market saves me a ton of time.

When asked if I support organic or local, the answer is both. That’s ideal. However, not all the produce stands at my markets are organic. Did you know that in order for a farmer to be titled USDA organic, they have to follow very strict, thorough rules? Around me, it’s a lot of small farmers that don’t have the money or time for that. Still, many of them don’t use any sprays or pesticides on their produce.

Also, think about it this way. Your organic mangoes, for example, are probably from Mexico. Think about the time, people and energy it takes to pick them in Mexico and then transport them all over the United States. That’s a lot of gas, a lot of hands, a lot of time.

The last few days, or even weeks, have at times made me feel like I’m on a tropical vacation. The air just holds that feeling of warmth and humidity with a slight breeze. I can almost see a palm tree in front of me, with its palms gently blowing in the wind. Almost.

Can you tell I’ve been wanting a vacation? It must be the increased sunshine, fans, tank tops, flip flops and smoothies that are all making me think of places far more tropical and exciting than Illinois. However, you work with what you’ve got, right? Well, what I’ve got is a fridge full of delicious, mouth-watering fruit.

Strawberries burst back into season at this time of year, which means I’ve had at least one container of them at all times. Asparagus is also back in season, along with grapefruit, blackberries and fresh green beans. These are all local produce that naturally grow at this time of year, meaning our bodies are meant to indulge in them. I find that my body has actually been craving berries and citrus! These foods detox the body, which is vital when helping it convert from heavy winter foods to light summer foods.

I GRADUATED!!!

I’m referring to my nutrition program with the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, which is what first began this blog, this website, this journey as a certified health coach. I am so proud to have reached the end, but as our founder Joshua Rosenthal said, it’s really just the beginning.

That couldn’t be truer! Now that I’m officially certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners, with a diploma from my school on its way, my time can be more focused on my health coaching business, For the Health of It.