I often get asked what my life looks like since becoming a Health Coach, so each month, I dedicate a post to a behind the scenes look. In June, I finished my second book, learned more about women’s health, hosted a lecture at the Rebecca Minkoff store, and helped nurse my mom back to health after a health scare.
Women’s Health with Dr. Aviva Romm and Acupuncturist Aimee Raupp
June 6th I attended an enlightening fireside chat with Dr. Aviva Romm and acupuncturist Aimee Raupp all about women’s health and hormones at the Sakara offices (my favorite organic, plant-based meal delivery service). As a Health Coach, I think it is important to be a lifelong learner – so I love attending events like this to broaden my knowledge and bring it back to my clients.
Dr. Aviva Romm has an incredible story. In short, she grew up in a housing project in NY, became a midwife and herbalist at age 16 and spent the next 25 years in that profession. Then, when her four kids were out of the house, she decided to go back to school – at Yale, no less – to become a medical doctor.
Now she is a leading expert in women’s health, particularly thyroid and hormonal health. If you are a woman who is constantly exhausted, or if you have a known thyroid or hormonal issue, I highly recommend you read her book, The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution. (And if you’re a Health Coach, you should read it, too!)
She recommended two specific strains of probiotics that have been clinically shown to support fertility and women’s health, L. reuteri and L. rhamnoses which can be found in Hyperbiotics Pro-Women (Use code HyperMaria for 25% off)
Aimee Raupp is trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and is incredibly knowledgeable. She has helped numerous friends who were having trouble getting pregnant, get pregnant naturally, through acupuncture, diet, and lifestyle. She is author of Yes, You Can Get Pregnant: Natural Ways to Improve Your Fertility Now and Into Your 40s.
Both of them will be on the podcast in the coming months, and I cannot wait to share their knowledge with you. Here are just a few of the tips from the evening:
Final Edits for Book Number 2
I’ve been working on a planner that will help you stick to your healthy habits and achieve your wellness goals by staying organized, focused, and accountable. There are tons of great and actionable tips throughout, as well as motivational reminders to keep you inspired.
I submit the final edits this month, and it will be available on November 6, 2018, but you can pre-order it now on Amazon. Can’t wait to share more with you once I have a printed copy to show you!
Upgrade Your Diet, Upgrade Your Life Talk at Rebecca Minkoff Store SoHo
Mid-month, I was invited back to speak at the Rebecca Minkoff store in SoHo to talk about how upgrading your diet, can upgrade your life. I always love speaking in front of an audience and spreading the power of food as medicine.
London For The Weekend
The following weekend I went to London to visit some friends. I always make it a point to stay active and healthy when I travel (here are some tips to help you do the same!), so, I ran in Hyde Park, lunched at KX gym with Neda of Healthy with Nedi, and ended up in Whole Foods…twice. I also saw Jay-Z and Beyonce in concert and ate plenty of Indian food.
My Momma’s Health Scare
Upon returning home, I got some scary news from my mom – she went to the doctor because her ankles and legs mysteriously got swollen, and it turned out she had super high blood pressure (we’re talking stroke territory) and A-Fib. Needless to say, she was pretty shaken up, because she thought she was pretty healthy.
While this naturally terrified me – I can’t fathom the thought of losing my mom – it also strengthened my mission in helping people to improve their health by improving their diet. It also made me realize that some people need more support than others.
Yes, she drinks green juice and eats her vegetables when she’s with me for 1-2 meals a week, but the other 19-20 meals (and snacks!) a week, she was on her own. She has all my recipes. She has my book. And yet, when she’s at the grocery store or making meal choices, sometimes she made good choices, and other times, she didn’t.
Knowing is Not the Same As Doing
She knows what to do – but knowing is not the same as doing. Too much candy, pizza, processed food, bread, and take out add up to health problems. When it comes to a diet made up primarily of processed foods, there is really no if but when will you get sick. No one is immune.
What’s more – you can eat the healthiest diet in the world, but if you are sedentary, stressed, and don’t have a strong support network, your health will be compromised.
Holistic Cardiologists
If you or someone you know have cardiac issues, I highly recommend you check out Dr. Dean Ornish, whose “undo” program is the only clinically proven method to not only prevent, but reverse heart disease. (He also happened to write the forward to my book, The Real Food Grocery Guide, and called it “the most practical guide to healthy eating.”
You know what his program consists of? A healthy, plant-based diet with low oil, exercise, stress-relief, and strong relationships and support. That’s it.
You can also see Dr. Ostfeld in NY at the Montefiore Cardiac Wellness Program and Dr. Joel Kahn in Michigan. They are both holistic-minded cardiologists using food as medicine to heal their patients. Of course, they use medicine where needed, but the goal is not to keep a patient on medicine forever, but rather to teach the patient how to live to minimize the need for it.
The Power of Support, Accountability, and Positive Encouragement
Thankfully, two weeks later, my mom is now doing well, her blood pressure is gradually going back to normal territory, and she is starting to feel more confident in her ability to heal using diet and lifestyle changes (and work towards reducing and even eliminating medication down the line.)
My sister Swan and I have been taking care of her – cooking for her, going for 30-minute walks each day, doing deep breathing exercises 10 minutes a day, meditating with her, bringing her to her first yoga class, and generally keeping her spirits up.
Heart disease is the number one killer of women, and the number one killer not just in America, but globally.
But, it is preventable through diet and lifestyle. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nearly 80% of cardiac deaths can be attributed to diet and lifestyle.
This is the reason I am a Health Coach. But, quite frankly, one of the most challenging things is that the ones I wish to help the most – my family – are the ones who don’t exactly want to listen to me (they remember me from my Doritos and Coca-Cola days). That’s why we need more health coaches, so they can listen to someone else who is not their daughter! 🙂
Press Mentions
French Vogue – 6 Pro Tips to Grow Healthy Hair Quickly
Hope you had a great month!
xx
Maria
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