I received this email from my best friend, Joanna today with this photo attached (the photo is a little wierd-its only showing up half on my computer)… Anyway, I never asked her to write anything about food, her experience with food, me being her coach. Never. She was just inspired. So, I decided to post it to inspire you, too! It definitely brought a tear to my eye!
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joanna's lunch!
As I sat down to eat my lunch today (brown rice cakes with FAUX gras- lentil pate, not to be confused with FOIE gras!) I couldn’t help but smile. Who knew that the little girl who was known for her snack drawer who ate hostess cupcakes and sour cream and onion pringles would end up being so health conscious? Well, I was lucky to find myself seated next to Arielle Fierman in the cafeteria back in Kindergarten. Even then she had a pb&j on “brown” bread with carrots and celery sticks as a snack. Although she would covet my cupcakes and bologna sandwiches, we are both lucky that she started out this way.
I was inspired to write something because I am grateful every day for Arielle (and not only because she is my best friend) because as a Holistic Health Coach she has inspired me to makeover my eating style. A graduate of Integrative Nutrition, Arielle’s solution is not to diet, cut carbs, count calories or points, eliminate food groups, or follow a prescribed diet. Instead, she taught me how to understand food as the fuel that I am putting into my body and to make it function. Your body is your only vessel. You are born with one and you don’t get to trade it in for a newer model. If you want to feel good and be healthy, then you very simply need to eat food that is nutritious and healthy. Foods, like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, like quinoa and brown rice, are directly from the earth so they are full of vitamins that nourish your body. They give you more energy and quite simply leave you feeling lighter, happier, and more fulfilled. So much food (even though the label might say “All Natural”) is processed and stripped down that by the time it is packaged you are getting very little of the original, main ingredient. For example, once bagged and shipped out Lays Potato Chips should hardly be called “potato” chips.
Arielle has taught me that I can eat what I am craving by simply finding the natural, simple solution. I’m a big french fry and potato chip person. Instead of buying chips I will cut up some sweet potatoes, throw on some olive oil, sea salt, and pepper and broil them in the oven until crisp. I find that I’m not depriving myself of taste (in fact they are delicious) but instead, satisfying a craving while eliminating all of the chemicals and unnecessary additives. I feel fulfilled and my craving is satisfied. If I open a bag of processed chips I’ve become aware that I end up feeling lethargic and even hungrier so I end up on a snack spiral.
I also happen to be a chocolate lover. I used to eat Twix, Snickers, Reeses Peanut Butter cups, Chips Ahoy, you name it. Arielle taught me about different options that have much better, more natural ingredients but provide me with the same sanctification minus the chemicals and added sugar. Now when I crave a little something sweet, I buy Late July cookie sandwiches or a pack of Justin’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups. I also always keep a bar of dark chocolate (70% cacao content or higher) in my refrigerator. One piece dipped in a bit of almond butter is enough to satisfy my craving.
Arielle has educated me about the importance of reading ingredients, incorporating more vegetables and simple, unprocessed foods so I have become hyper aware of what I eat and make smart choices not only because I want to maintain a healthy weight but more importantly because I want to FEEL GOOD.
Thanks to Arielle I was also inspired to do a cleanse (yeah Julia Argenti of Lemons and Loafers!). The cleanse helped me learn what my body needs and what it doesn’t need. It’s an amazing experience to really become aware of how food affects your body. I know now what foods make me feel good and how to listen to what my body is craving. While my physical health has of course improved (one green juice at a time!) I feel balanced, more energized, and clear headed.
I decided to write this because I wanted to share my experience and because I know that if I have had this experience many others will be inspired to make changes in their life too.
Thank you, Arielle for completely changing my life around food!
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So inspired. Thank YOU, Joanna, for teaching me that just being an example is enough. Thank you for listening to my advice and recommendations and most importantly, thank you for listening to your body and nourishing it with foods that you make you feel fab not fat!!!
be healthy. be positive. be well.
xoxox
be well,
arielle
