Catering to the Whole Self

The first blog under this section, is an introduction to my journey through health and wellness. As I sat down to reflect upon this post, I quickly realized that my idea of health has evolved over time, as most things do! Like the four seasons that come and go each year, I liken life to this idea of seasons as well. With each season that appears, changes occur. Some aspects from the previous season stay consistent, while others are modified. My journey through health has been similar to this, a bunch of seasons, all with the overall goal to feel my best.

So with this idea of seasons, I group my health journey thus far into five specific ones, which you will see below. I DO NOT pretend to have all the answers to health and wellness, nor do I have any specific training on this topic. It is always something for me that will be a major work in progress. So this is just me, my journey, and all that I have learned along the way!

Your body holds deep wisdom. Trust in it. Learn from it. Nourish it. Watch your life transform and be healthy.

Bella Bleue

Season One – High School: When I was in high school, health simply meant being active. My parents always instilled in us that as long as we were staying busy, we could pursue whatever activities we were interested in. My high school days were spent playing tennis, hockey, and softball. When I wasn’t on a court, rink, or field, my time was spent on the lake skiing and swimming with friends. These are still some of my very favorite memories that I will forever cherish. Working out never seemed hard or like a job because it was fun and with people I enjoyed! The nutrition aspect of wellness was not yet a focus. As long as we stayed active, we could basically consume what we wanted (within reason). It wasn’t until my first couple months of college, that I realized this played a part in my overall well-being. Boy did this lesson weigh me down, both figuratively and literally!

Season Two – College: As the saying goes, “the freshmen fifteen” snuck up without me even knowing it. I guess the combination of an unlimited food card and decreased exercise can do that to someone, and quick! My friend Danielle and I still laugh about all the flavored tootsie rolls we consumed on our rides back to our hometown on weekends. For the first time, I actually felt the stress of not feeling good in my body. It was something that took up space in my brain and my heart. Luckily, my tennis season at UND started a couple months later. With a better nutritional diet and more time on the court, my old pants were starting to fit like they used to. It was also the first time that I noticed I was feeling better and more energized than I had the months before! For me, the idea of health was still very focused on exercise, but I would say this was my first wake up call into the importance of what is going into my body as well. Another change in my health journey during this season was my venture into trying new activities to stay active. Because I was no longer a three sport athlete, I had additional time to take part in things I hadn’t up to this point. Some of my favorite memories of this time included skiing in Colorado, zip lining in Costa Rica, and hiking in Europe. I also enjoyed new activities locally, but traveling was an added bonus with more time! It wasn’t until I got engaged a couple years out of college that my lesson in nutrition became part of my wellness toolkit as well.

Season Three – Wedding Bells: This was my first time no longer playing any organized sport. I was also getting married and of course wanted to feel my best on that day. So on top of continuing my new found love for lots of different ways of staying active, I wanted to learn more about nutrition. Luckily, one of my best friends who I played tennis with in college, Emily Spicer Aubol, (owner and operator at Inspired Results Coaching) was kind enough to teach me. I still remember sitting down with Emily at Starbucks and learning all about nutrition over a cup of coffee. Up to this point, I had never even read a nutrition label! I had no idea what I was supposed to be looking at or what combination of macros I was aiming for. Emily so patiently taught me it all! We practiced reading labels, inputting information into the computer, and even went shopping together to learn more about the types of foods that are available. I spent that next year really diving into the nutritional aspect of health and wellness, learning more about what types of foods I like and the combination of what I should be providing my body each day. I am very grateful to Emily for this knowledge and hope to include her in this blog section at some point! She is a wealth of information! Twelve years later, I still feel empowered with the knowledge of looking at a menu or going to the grocery store and having an idea of what I’m looking for. The challenge for me now is actually practicing that knowledge on a continuuous basis.

Season Four – Mommyhood: When Everly was born, we spent four months in the NICU and were in and out of the hospital constantly that year. It’s safe to say that working out took a back seat in my life. I don’t believe that with my daily pumpkin spice lattes and takeout meals, my nutrition was on point either. I was simply in survival mode and doing what I could to keep it together. With high stress and very little sleep, a long hard workout was not what I was willing or able to give at that time. Looking back, this is when I started learning and applying strategies that would help take care of my mind and spirit, something I was needing in this season of my life. Taking walks around the hospital and practicing breathing techniques through stressful moments were a part of my daily routine. I also remember sitting on the bench outside the hospital and trying mindfulness apps for the first time ever. I occasionally made it to the parent support group in the hospital and free massage sessions in the lobby. I feel that although these times were quite trying, this was when I learned to actually listen to what my body was needing in that moment.

Little by little as we figured out our new normal, my life started to find it’s way back again. This season also became staying active, but with Everly. I believe it is so important to model to children the importance of moving the body. During this season, I was able to teach Everly how to play tennis, ride a bike, and ice/roller skate, to name a few. In this season of “Mommyhood” my nutrition was still needing a reset. For example, anytime Everly was having a very hard medical day, Brody and I would look at each other and just know, “It was shitty food and a beer night.”

Season Five – Finding Myself Again: Each prior season has taught me little by little the pieces that need to make up my health and wellness in order to be my best self. I certainly am not on point with every single one of them each season. However, I feel like I have the knowledge and experience in each piece to know what I need to do in order to take care not only the body, but also the mind and spirit. In this new era, I am doing my best to stay active with my daughter, but also on my own as well. Long walks, occasional pickle ball tournaments, and tennis drills are a piece to this puzzle for me. I also do my best to prioritize my mind and spirit through reading, getting enough sleep, taking breaks, practicing mindfulness, and working on things that challenge me. As I said before, I know this will always be a work in progress for me as I am sure it is for many!

I would like to dedicate this section of my blog to anyone who would like to continue their health journey with me in order to be their best self! I will strive to provide information related to what I am doing to take care of my mind, body, and spirit in the hopes that it can provide you with some ideas too!

The mind and body are not separate. What affect one, affects the other.

Author Unknown