The Bed of Life

I feel that it is time again for me to start writing more frequently.  For the last 6 months or so I have been wrapped up in massive change.  I have talked about my change in massive detail  to so many probably to the point now where many of you are sick of it.  So now it is time simply to be present in the moment.  This blog as I began it is for friends and family - it's simply a place where I jot down my thoughts, experiences and stories to share with all who are interested.  I like this blog because it's has nothing to do with my business or goals it's  just a page that is simply about me, by me, and for me in the end.  

I've been told by many that I ought to write some of my "NYC experience" stories into a book perhaps I may someday but where to begin? Some stories are easy like the story about the musician or the horrible tale of the evil blood sucking creatures of the night (also known as 'bad blood and bed bugs').  Other stories take a little more work to craft into interesting snippets of life.  

I've been thinking about where to begin and what to discuss in this blog here with you... I could discuss health, the restaurant biz, life with a cute puppy or perhaps I could even write a Carrie Bradshaw-esque blog on the life and times of a single girl in the city.  I have stories to tell that involve being dumped at 4am via text message.  Or how it took over three days and three very long conversations to end things with someone I'd known for less than a month.  I could talk about bachelorette parties, bull riding, bartenders, fabulous ladies, and skeezy men. But unlike Carrie whose fictional existence revolves around those interactions between men, friends, and the city - I don't find that any of those moments are central to me or my life in the city.  I am not a carrie... 

I feel those crazy evenings out are like fancy throw pillows - they add some color, texture, and shape to life but at the end of the day you still throw them on the floor in order to go to sleep. The pictures end up on facebook in an odd sort of mutilated patchwork quilt of craziness that blankets the heart of all other accomplishments.  When you work so hard to create a professional life how do you balance the personal in between - what stories do you tell in which you can be salacious and intriguing yet respectable and strong.  It's an interestingly fine line women walk in New York City.  We struggle to be independent, strong, and capable during the day and then at night we are expected to be slinky, coy, and free spirited.  Where does this duality leave us? and How does technology play a role in our ability or inabilty to keep these two worlds separate? Perhaps I am a Carrie... since in pondering this issue I find this is a subject I could discuss in depth were it not already almost 2am.  However, for now, it is now my intent to "go to the mattresses" (I just had to pick the bedding allusion back up) and fight to find the best foundation or springs for my bed of life and to tell those stories as best I can and then I will add in the throw pillows and a quilt or two just for decoration.

I hope my ramblings are at least somewhat coherent and if not oh well I will just have to fix that later with a much better more intriguing story...

Goodnight. 

Food and Lifestyle choices

Hi Friends and Family!

I know that it's been ages since I last wrote a blog but here I am now and what stories do I have to tell!  It has been an incredible whirlwind of a year so far.  In January I began taking classes through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.  It has been an absolutely incredible experience. In my time at IIN I have gained more than I ever thought possible - I started my own business, I am working with clients (counseling others to live healthfully and happily is the most thrilling thing I've experienced in a very long time), and learned a lot about myself in the process as well.  In the aftermath of my drama from 2008 I was falling into unhealthy patterns- feeling lost, angry, hurt- the normal feelings of heartbreak I suppose. The course at IIN has not only helped me to find a career path and direction I enjoy it also pushed me to work on my own life and really find what was important to me - in doing so I was able to break from the anguish I was trapped in and find joy in the amazing life I have around me.  

I've spent a lot of time over the last 7 months experimenting with my diet, exercise, and overall lifestyle choices to find what makes me feel the best and most productive.  I have made a lot of changes - I am able now to speak my mind about my opinions and living a healthy lifestyle is something I am more passionate about now than ever.  One big change that has come from all of this is that I have decided that for me eating meat simply is not for me.  I made this choice after several months of experimenting with my diet and have come to the conclusion that it's not worth it for me to have meat in my diet. I first began experimenting by taking meat out of my diet for a week or two at a time - when I did so I found that I had more energy - I felt lighter, happier, and just overall better. After a two week experiment I decided to integrate meat back into my diet amazingly enough all of the things I had felt relieved of came back - I was moodier, felt heavier, and just didn't feel as strong.  So I took it back out - and voila! after a day or two I felt better again.  Lighter, happier, and clearer than before.  So this time I took it out for two months and I consistently felt better - the change in my moods was the best thing I ever could have felt, I also found that my skin was better, and overall it was easier to make healthy choices while living this lifestyle.  BUT being the scientist that I am I decided to slowly integrate meat back in again just for a little bit - that angry, moody, cloud came over me yet again and I just didn't feel very good - more lethargic and definitely less driven.  So out went the meat.  

It is with all of that that I have come to the decision that it simply isn't worth it to me to have meat in my life.  I like the lifestyle choice I have made and I don't feel the need to go back.  Now this is my experience and my experience only - there are some people whose bodies simply don't function well without animal protein but I am not one of them.  I have so much fun finding healthy alternative proteins and I thoroughly enjoy this lifestyle.  I also feel that in this day and age the way animals are treated is so unbelievably bad I can't in good conscious support the system that promotes that kind of cruelty (see Food, Inc. if you want to see what I am talking about). So there you have it - I am finally announcing to the whole family my choice to be a vegetarian. I am happy with my choice but in this I wanted to make clear that I made the choice from an incredibly individual standpoint and for my own health.  

Now with all of that said I am off for a run in Central Park before I have to go to work.  I will write more very soon.  I am graduating from IIN next weekend and am so excited!!!  For any of you who have not had a chance to check out my website or read my newsletter go to www.sharonstevenshealth.com send me a message and I'll make sure to put you on my newsletter mailing list.  :)  

Love to all.