My journey into wellness began in college when my Dad convinced me to try CrossFit. At the same time, I began training for marathons and wanted to enhance my performance with high-protein diets like Paleo. I've always been a routine-oriented person, so restriction and rules came easy to me. However, what struck me the most is that like workout classes, every diet is geared towards the masses. They don't take individual needs or goals into account.
Fast forward a few years, when I was working for the corporate office of a cycling studio in NYC. For the first time, my passion merged with my profession and I knew I was on the right track. And then out of nowhere, my Dad was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer. While it was devastating news for my family, I also took it as a sign: it was time for me to take a bigger leap into nutrition, exercise and clean living. My journey was no longer about me - I wanted to learn as much as I could to help him.
Unfortunately, no plant-based recipe or herbal remedy could help slow my Dad's fast-spreading tumor. But in all the darkness that followed, came light with me beginning my career in wellness. The day he passed was the same day I accepted an offer at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, which enabled me to receive my health coaching certificate while working for the largest online nutrition platform in the world. Learning at this level has given me both the knowledge and confidence to question everything. In a world consumed by misinformation, where people tend to see things as black or white, it's become increasingly important to look inward instead of outward, tune into what your unique needs are, and make decisions based on what serves you and your family best.
Today, I'm a Mom of three who strives to find balance in everything. While I believe in establishing healthy habits for my kids, I also believe in letting them have fun (kids have to be kids, after all). When my Dad passed, I learned that life is truly too short to live by rules. If Mom loves to start the weekend with a martini, then my kids can do the same with a little ice cream.
From having three healthy pregnancies (even without a period!) and redefining what it means to be a fit mom, to making all of my baby food from scratch - showing up for myself and my family will always come first. When you make the time for eating well and moving with purpose, it becomes your lifestyle. And that's where I am now...happiest at home, after a morning workout, cooking in the kitchen, setting a clear example for my kids of what it means to love the life you live.
To living wholly,
Alexa
