Why in the world do I do what I do?
There are only a handful of individuals that know my why and the deep down reason that I am doing my dream job every single day.
The summer going into 7th grade wasn’t my “typical” summer that I had previously experienced. I (along with the rest of my extended family) spent the entire summer in and out of hospitals and nursing homes. My Grandmother had cancer and my Mom Mom had alzheimer's. I still can remember the smells, the beeping, the screens, the dark ICU room. I remember the ICU nurse having me try on the pulse ox monitor and calling it an “ET” finger.
I’ll never forget the amount of times that summer that we would be in the pool and enjoying a summer day then receive a call from the hospital and have to rush in for an emergency. Whether it was for a blood clot, breathing issue, etc. That summer, my extended family was always together (which, in all of this was nice for my Grandmom and Mom Mom to have such a good support system), but obviously shaped who I am today. Fast forward to when my first child was born. The flashback and emotions going back into a hospital re-surfaced. Even though we were in the hospital for a happy event, it was still hard to be back in those hallways with those bright lights, the smell, lack of natural light, etc. I remember pacing back and forth in our room just wanting to get out. When my second son was born, I was able to convince the doctor to discharge us a day early. I just couldn’t stand being in there anymore!
However, I never understood why they had to have these horrible diseases. From that point forward, I wanted to understand the WHY and how to prevent this from happening to another family. It’s my purpose in life to help keep individuals out of hospitals and doctors offices. To help be able to live life. Whether that means traveling or hiking, chasing after grandkids and puppies, being able to enjoy retirement or just to be able to function in life and get off the toilet alone! That is my WHY! To help individuals do so.
The statistics today are SCARY! Just google it!
42% of American Adults are obese
30.7% are overweight
19.3% of children in the United State are obese
In the US, 1 in 2 women and 1 in 3 men will develop CANCER.
In the US, 1 in 9 individuals get ALZHEIMER'S
Overweight and obesity cause:
High Blood Pressure
High cholesterol
Heart disease
Stroke
Gallbladder Disease
Sleep apnea
Many types of cancers
Osteoarthritis
Low quality of life
Clinical depression
Body pain
The list goes on and on!
The purpose of this email wasn’t to scare you, but highlight the $h*t that is actually going on! It’s f****** scary! Our health in this country is deplorable. Our healthcare (sick care) system is a mess!
On the bright side, we can reverse obesity (and other issues that occur from it) with lifestyle changes. If we give our bodies the right amount of movement, good nutrient dense food, and reduce stress, it is amazing what our bodies can do to reverse disease. Yes, lifestyle changes are hard. It’s a f****** grind. You have to commit to consistency and a healthy lifestyle. You have to show up for yourself every day and give yourself self care.
What does this look like? We are all at different stages in our health and fitness journey. For some individuals, this may be prioritizing sleep. For others, this may be getting a consistent walk each day and getting some vitamin D. Maybe, you are committed to cooking dinner 5 days per week and only eating out 2. Have you thought about the amount of alcohol you consume and decided to dramatically reduce it or cut it out all together? Or you may be consistently throwing weights around and ready to take things up another notch. Wherever you are at, you have to do something that your future self will thank you for!
I hope you will read this and make just ONE lifestyle change! If you are up to it, just respond with the lifestyle change you are committed to and I'd be happy to help hold you accountable to it. If you have no idea where you should prioritize or where you may need help on your journey, just respond to this email! OR if you are busy and know that you need help (whether you are in Kennett Square, PA or across the country, just drop me a message and let's connect. Sometimes we just need others and a good wolfpack to help on our journey! I’d be happy to be a part of yours! Just drop me a message!