Sabbatical over!

Miss me?  I apologize for not posting in so long, but I have been through something life changing and I think it has taken me a little bit to process it.

After the class I took earlier in the summer, I decided to take another of the classes in the Holistic program.  This was a two week Intensive class on Holistic approaches to Stress.  I thought the "intensive" part was because the 13 week class had been compressed into two weeks.  Oh how wrong I was!

This course took my perceptions of stress, and of myself and turned them upside down!


First thing I took from the class:  You create your own stress.  Think about that.  We create our own stress.  It is a simple sentence, but there is so much meaning in those few words.  There are personality traits that make one person more prone to stress than others, but deep down, the truth of the matter is that we create our own stress.

During the course we took a Stress Evaluation Survey.  My results were so high that it actually scared me!  I can't keep walking around like this.  I have to do something.


We were taught different ways to relax and overcome stress.  Meditation is one way that we tried and it seems to be working for me.

I have much more I want to say on the matter, but I have run out of time for now.  Check back for another post this evening!

A wonderful feeling

I have been very frustrated and discouraged lately, but something happened yesterday that put things back into perspective.

The class that I took last term was in the Holistic Department.  The school I am attending actually has a Holistic Health Minor.  I have to tell you that I have never taken a class that affected me so much!  It was amazing!  Each and every class session I found something that I could apply to my future career as well as my daily life.

Yesterday, I sat down and talked to the instructor about taking the Holistic Minor. He seemed almost as excited about it as I was.  How could anything be more perfect?  A Dietitian with a Holistic Minor, it is the perfect combination!  After all, Diabetes isn't just about diet and blood testing.  It impacts every aspect of your life.

I will be able to help so many people in a very real way!

This journey of mine has been very long and discouraging lately, but yesterday I saw a very bright light at the end of the road!

The New Experiment

Okay, I have done some crazy things in the last year and a half.  I have done 2 - 5Ks, tried all manner of exercise and even gotten off all caffeine.  But this new venture may just do us all in.  We are going Vegan!  (I think).

There is new research out regarding eating plans for People With Diabetes.

Dr. Neal Barnard has a book out called

Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes 

The kicker is that the eating plan is Vegan.  Not just Vegetarian, Vegan! 

Vegan means no animal products.  That means no dairy, no eggs, and lots and lots of legumes, more commonly known as beans! 

The problem is that I don't like beans!  That is a mild term for my relationship with beans.  I like hummus, and hummus is created from garbanzo beans, but the beans and hummus are smushed beans and no longer look like beans.  I think it's a psychological thing.

This could be like the no more caffeine experiment.  I don't know though, no dairy means no cheese!  I don't know if I can survive without cheese!  Cheese is its own food group!

First step in this plan?  Buy the book.  As soon as I get paid this week we are off to Barnes and Noble to purchase our copy and then, if we like what we read, the experiment is on!!

 

A Hooping Good Time!!

Last night, in a show of incredible love and support, hubby went to hooping class with me.  There he was with a bunch of crazy women, in the rain and he, being the wonderful man he was, picked up a hoop and joined in!

I am the luckiest woman in the world!  No matter what crazy thing I come up with he is right there with me, every step of the way!

We all had such a good time that he is getting his own hoop.  For some reason he doesn't want to use my pink and red hoop.  Can you believe that?  I can't wait to see what his hoop ends up looking like.

I have had such a hard time finding some exercise that I thought I could really keep up with and do on a consistent basis.

Hooping is awesome!  It makes you feel like you are a little kid playing out in the sun again!  I can't wait until we start dancing!

This is my hoop.  It has been named bubblegum.  I think it is a fitting name!!