Monday, February 10, 2014

Open For Business

I was making perfectly beautiful breaded pork chops the other day and I was suddenly overwhelmed with memories of my Grandfather.

My Grandpa Suma...  Sigh.  He was one of the kindest people in the world, the type of person that would do anything for anyone.  He always had a smile on his face, even after raising 5 daughters.  His grandkids loved him.  His granddogs adored him. And he loved him some breaded pork chops (so much so that he would gnaw on the bones until all the gristle was gone and the bones were clean).


But I was overwhelmed because it was a painful reminder that he was taken from us earlier than he should have been.  Grandpa passed from complications from diabetes at 80 years old.  Now that may seem like a full and long life and you're probably right But what frustrates me is that he passed from a completely preventable and manageable illness.

Diet sodas, chemical sweeteners, low fat, hydrogenated inflammatory seed oils, and overly processed "food" were the recommendations of his doctors.

This is not uncommon- at the end of a long, twisted tale of food politics and money lie the health of millions of Americans:
  • Fat makes you fat
  • Meat will give you Heart Disease
  • Zero calories sweeteners are healthy
  • Eat Margarine instead of Butter
  • Lettuce might have Salmonella, so have a multivitamin instead
  • Calorie restriction is the best way to lose weight and be healthy
  • The American dream can only be achieved by working harder and longer hours than everyone else
Point of Clarification: This is not a "let's bash doctors" thing.  This is a "let's fundamentally challenge conventional wisdom and educate everyone regardless of title" thing.

I'm going to be quite honest friends.

This. Makes. Me. Furious.

Ok, deep breath.  1... 2... 3...

Here's what I'm going to do:

I'm going to do everything in my power to reverse this trend.  Welcome to Ignite. Nourish. Thrive. Health Coaching.  That's right friends, I'm live.  I'm taking my passion for using whole, real foods to fuel an optimal life and putting those eggs in one basket (pun intended).

What does this look like?  It looks like personally coaching people where they are, coming along side them, setting goals, and helping them understand how to make and implement long term health and lifestyle decisions based on eating whole, minimally processed, real foods that we as humans were designed to eat.

Goals may look different for each person.  It may look like fat loss, managing a chronic illness, or putting up a PR in the gym.

Honestly- the end goal is merely directional.  I believe real food helps us be the people we were meant to be.

I will be taking one-on-one or group clients effective immediately, virtual or in person.  If you are interested in working with me, please head to my website and fill out my contact form (also, find me on Facebook and Twitter @Optimize_Life).  And not to sound gimmicky, but hurry up because space will be extremely limited.

I will continue to blog (hopefully with more frequency) and be accessible.  But when it comes down to it, I want to work closely with people who are ready to commit and make changes.  And our world will  not be changed until people are educated and have personally experienced busting these myths themselves.  So if you're ready, or know someone who is....

Come On In, We're Open.

-Kelsey

2 comments:

  1. Sounds so awesome Kelsey! Best wishes for much success in your new endeavor!

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  2. AWESOME! You GO girl! It was great meeting you at TLAG2 and I hope to see you at TLAG3. I'll be following your blog to keep up with your adventure. :)

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