My nutritional awareness came in with a B-A-N-G.
In the middle of yet another sleepless night the pressure in my brain was explosive. I took myself to the emergency room, leaving behind my husband and 4-year old son.
Diagnosis: Migraines, Adrenal Fatigue, Osteopenia
MY LIFE WAS IN OVERDRIVE!
In my belly churned the bone depleting and nauseating acids; a bi-product of my fast paced life which lacked self-care. This all seemed to be normal behavior in the fast lane, until my health crisis awakened a deep calling that wouldn’t shut-up. Little did I know that this moment would be the beginning of a long and painful transition, whose “slap-in-the-face” awakening would shine a light and challenge my life-long fundamental beliefs.
I was living a lie.
I was not feeding my soul but my materialistic accumulations and my 401K. My high-profiled Wall Street life; with phones ringing all around, the din of excitement as voices screamed reporting transactions, slowly destroyed my nervous system as I devoured my “processed food” lunch. The chronic tension in my shoulders and neck became as familiar as my life; high stress with little to no self-care.
I had to get out!
But how? My institutional clients trusted me with their “buckets of bucks.”
Life took a sharp left when I joined my son’s 5th grade class at the Rudolf Steiner School, for their week-long class trip to an organic/biodymanic farm. After a full day's activities with the children, the whisper and peaceful early morning rustling of the farm animals and activities naturally PULLED me out of a deep slumber at 4:30am.
At the barn entrance I froze at the sight of the farmers as they quietly and rhythmically milked the cows. Outside the chickens were scratching the earth for their breakfast. The hush in the air felt so familiar. Peace and harmony shared this space in this revealing moment, a far cry from my over-scheduled life in NYC.
In the whisper of the early morning activities, my “ah-ha” moment was clear as I stood in the cycle of the farm life, leading me to a profound understanding of:
FOOD IS MEDICINE.
My Good-byes
Saying good-bye to my career brought me to the Institute of Integrated Nutrition® in 2003 for its two-year program ending with an immersion trip to India.
Diagnosed with osteopenia helped me to dive further into the “whys,” “hows” and “what ifs” of using food as my medicine and defining my niche. I hired myself as my own Holistic Bone Coach and went deeper into the marrow of my own bones, turning all my focus in that direction.
My Deep Healing
With grace and ease, I’ve let go of “drama and trauma.” I embrace my life to its fullest living more in balance and harmony, loving each and every day. My food choices have changed; my osteopenia has not shifted to osteoporosis according to my latest Dexa test as I incorporate my own tools; cooking mineral-rich foods, consuming herbal tea infusions that build and maintain strong bones, weight bearing exercise, meditation, eliminating reļ¬ned sugars and gaining sky rocket energy. And surrounding myself with loving people.
“Buckets of Bucks” to “Bucket of Bones”
Now instead of my clients trusting me with their “Buckets of Bucks” they trust me with their “Bucket of Bones” as I bring in my years of study to a natural way of healing their bones and their life. My bones so appreciate my shift!
My mission statement is the name of my business: Food For Healthy Bones which I embrace every day.
But then I met Dorothy Mullen.
And with that meeting I learned all about The Suppers Programs. Knowing the safety of The Suppers Programs would bring a voice to the F-E-A-R that lives under the breath of: "I've just been diagnosed with Osteopenia/Osteoporosis and I don't want to take medication. Now what do I do?"
Feeding Your Bones Suppers was created. As of this writing my co-creator, Vicki Sarnoff and I have held 63 Suppers. We've added a Suppers for Autoimmune as well. We meet every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month in New Hope, PA. We locally source our organic food from our wonderful farmers in Bucks County bringing me back to my ah-ha moment so many years ago.
My greatest lesson: Our guests seek a safe surrounding where they can discuss their health needs and not feel judged. Sometimes it all about bones, sometimes it's about digestion, sometimes autoimmune challenges.
And sometimes it's about shame and living with the self-critical demons. I have observed this self-talk lessens with time replacing it with healing thoughts and supportive actions steps that are now in the center of their plates.
Thanks for being Dor.