Happy New Year!

This post will be a little different from what I normally do on this blog.

I love New Year's Eve. It is a chance to reflect on the the past year
and make a fresh start in the year to come. Part of the tradition of
New Year's Eve is to make a resolution. We have all made them. To lose
weight. To be nicer. To exercise. To try something new. To accomplish
a goal. I know that I have resolved multiple times to floss every day,
and I have never once succeeded, despite what I tell my Dentist.
(Sorry, Dr. Peters).

I used to think that resolutions were impossible, until three years
ago when I actually kept mine. My resolution was simple: to be
healthier. I didn't set any specific goals, and the point wasn't to
lose weight or get in shape or anything like that. It was simply to
treat myself better, be healthier, and therefore improve my quality of
life.

It started very simply, when I decided to make my mornings less
stressful by packing my lunch, programming the coffee maker, and
picking an outfit for work before going to bed. It took a while to
make this a habit, but once I did, my mornings were less hectic and I
arrived at work in a better mood. From there, I committed to trying to
get at least 7 hours of sleep every single night. For those of you who
know me, I am more pleasant to be around when I am rested and fed!

Bigger changes came after I watched a segment of the Oprah Winfrey
show where Oprah interviewed food expert Michael Pollan about the
documentary "Food Inc." Having my eyes opened to the way food is
raised and produced in this country got me interested in looking more
closely at what I was putting in my body. After doing some research, I
couldn't continue to ignore the realities about the health risks that
our food system present to our society. I started purchasing most of
my groceries organic, and soon after, became a vegetarian.

Changing my diet made a huge difference in my quality of life. Very
quickly, I found that I had more energy and was more productive. My
digestive system worked better. My skin was smoother. I stopped
getting colds and bugs. The increase in energy motivated me to join a
gym, and I fell in love with working out. These days, I have to force
myself to take a day off to rest my sore muscles.

Eventually, making all of these positive changes (and meeting some
amazing people along the way) helped me find the confidence and
self-worth to make some even bigger changes in my life. The thing I am
most proud of is taking the risk of quitting my job and returning to
school full-time. I have always said that if I had it to do over
again, I would have gone to school to be a Dietitian... and now I am
pursuing that dream. I am constantly blown away that I am going to
have the chance to make a career of helping people by doing something
that I love.

In this new year, I challenge you to resolve to make a couple of small
changes in your life that will make you a healthier and happier
person. Start small, and don't be too specific. Once you succeed at
those first few things, make a few bigger changes. I think you will be
surprised at how quickly the domino effect takes place. Never be
afraid to take a leap... to try something new... to take a risk. The
worst thing that can happen is that you won't succeed, and that's ok.
It's what we learn from our failures that makes us who we are.

I wish you all much love, happiness, and health in 2013. I hope that
you will continue to follow my journey as you begin or continue your
own in the new year.


Happy New Year!