My wake up call to healthy eating

When the Radiology Technician found “something” on my routine mammogram, I realized just how damn much I wanted to live.

This past May I had a breast cancer scare. My second one in 9 years. I was terrified.

My doctor told me to stay present and take it one step at a time.

Easier said than done.

The first thought that popped into my mind when the Radiologist told me they found a mass in my right breast was, “what’s going to happen to my son Asher? Who will take care of him?”

And that sent me down the road of imagining a future without “me” in it.

I admit it; I awful-ized initially. I imagined my funeral, who would come and what people would say. I visualized my son graduating and getting married without me. I imagined the love of my life with someone else…

Yeah, I went there.

Seriously, how could I not?! At least initially anyway…

Today, when I look around at my family, friends, or even actors in Hollywood – I know that sounds weird but it’s true, I recognize everyone is getting older (the Fonz/Henry Winkler anyone?!).

And that means I’m getting older too!

So yeah, I’ve come to terms with getting older and now realize that getting sick in my 40’s is a real possibility. Getting cancer could actually happen to me. Getting cancer and dying could happen too.

After awful-izing about it, I knew I needed to get my shit together and shift my mindset. After all, I have all the tools to do that being a life coach!

Now I had a glimpse into what thousands of other women experience every day when they get told something showed up on the screening and it might be that dreaded “C” word.

It was time to stop the “what ifs” and time to start living moment by moment.

My results came back, and I was fine. No cancer – thank God! I was one of the lucky ones.

So, what’s the moral of the story?

Heed the wake-up call.

By most people’s standards, I’m healthy. I work out regularly. I’m active and enjoy the outdoors. I’m an entrepreneur who successfully escaped the corporate rat race back in early 2000 to live a more balanced life…

There is just one thing though. I can honestly say I don’t eat healthy every day. I go through fits and spurts where I am on again and off again. You know, doing the yo-yo thing with food (and alcohol).

Now I am putting my stake in the ground.

I have decided that not only DO I WANT TO LIVE, I WANT TO LIVE WELL. And that translates into more energy, happiness and passion in my life!

Have you ever heard the term, “you are what you eat?” It’s true. In order to live well and be healthy, it’s up to me to pay attention to what I put in my mouth.

Time for a nutritional reset.

I’ve reached the wall and have decided, “enough is enough!” I’m craving eating REAL FOOD and nourishing myself in that way.

I’m doing the Whole 30 which is 30-day nutritional reset program. It’s simple: protein, veggies, fruit and fat.

And no, this isn’t how I’m going to eat until the end of time – I love carbs too much! I will make better choices though when I reintroduce food after the 30 days by keeping those foods with empty calories that you can’t stop eating, coined by the Whole 30 program as “food without brakes,” out of my pantry. And if I needed any other reason, it’s a time saver: I cut down on the time it takes to shop as I only hit the perimeter of the grocery store instead of combing the aisles!

In all seriousness though, when I thought I was dying, I realized at a deep level that there is so much more I want to do AND be on this big beautiful earth! If there is anything I can do to reduce my risk of getting sick, I’m there!

The ball is in my court on how I choose to live.

I want to be at my son’s graduation and wedding.
I want to grow old with my man.
I want to leave a positive impact on the world through my passion to help women powerfully create a meaningful life…
And so much more!

Behind every wake-up call, is a gift. And I was fortunate to find it.

When I was faced with the notion of death, it made me realize just how much I wanted to live. And now, I’ve found another pathway to living fully through food. I understand, “I am what I eat.”

To put it another way, I’d rather be a vibrant and crunchy piece of kale versus a sour and greasy Miss Vickie’s potato chip! You know what I mean?!