If you change nothing, nothing will change

 

 I hope you all are getting out and enjoying this beautiful weekend, getting to spend some quality time with your family and friends, and of course, getting some quality time for your health which includes activity/exercise, sleep. and restoration. In case you were wondering (for those of you who I do not see weekly), I am still busy helping people find their happy place by making positive changes to their daily habits, teaching my small group classes, coaching at Hillview, and inspiring my private clients to achieve their goals. Unfortunately, finding the time to write my weekly blogs has been tough. 

 

I am starting back today with the hopes of producing one blog a month. I am so excited to let you know that for the next few months, my blogs will be interviews I have done with individuals, couples, or families that have made significant changes to their daily nutrition with the hopes that we can all take away some valuable piece of information. Sharing other people’s stories is one of the best ways to inspire courage to do something otherwise thought too difficult or time-consuming.

 

My first interview is with James, a college student that I have known since the day he was born. I have watched James grow up and mature into a wonderful young man, and have marveled at the changes he has made to his diet over the last few years. He struggled with cystic acne in high school which can be both physically and emotionally painful. His dietary changes have made a world of difference to his skin and have prevented him from taking powerful drugs that he did not feel comfortable taking. I hope you enjoy the interview. Please feel free to forward to anyone you feel might benefit from James’ story.

 

Stella: Tell me a little about your journey with nutrition.

 

James: It started my junior year in high school when I started taking surfing more seriously. Surfing introduced me to environmental issues. Pesticide run off is the biggest cause of ocean pollution and industrial agriculture is the biggest cause of worldwide pollution. I went organic for environmental reasons, I just could not spend so much time in the ocean which I loved and not do my part. At the same time, I was experiencing bad acne. I started doing research and learned about inflammatory diets and the relation to skin disorders. I cut out dairy, avoided processed sugar, and cut out gluten and started feeling so much better.

 

Stella: How long after you started making the changes did you begin to see your skin improve?

 

James: About a month or two of being fully into the diet, my skin improved.

 

Stella: In a culture where everyone wants instant change, a month or two is a long time to wait. What kept you motivated during that time?

 

James: I started feeling better, much better. If I ate pizza or ice cream, I felt bad. I am also pretty stubborn, so I was not going to quit. But feeling so good was definitely what kept me motivated.

 

Stella: What were your biggest hurdles?

 

James: College was definitely the biggest hurdle because food options for me were very limited. I had to eat what was available to avoid being hungry all the time. The other big hurdle was eating out with friends. They would just eat junk so I would not eat anything when I was with them. Now, most of my friends eat much healthier. I have tried to educate them.

 

Stella: What advice would you give to others who want to make changes?

 

James: Try not to care what others think, they will not understand. Don’t give up, you will inspire others. It’s OK to cheat sometimes, try not to be too controlling, just control what you can and let go.

 

If you or someone you know has questions for James, you can send them to me at stellabergan@comcast.net and I will get them to him.