There must be two kinds of people in the world – those who get home from a trip and immediately unpack their suitcase, and those who sort of half live out of the suitcase until it’s empty, leave it out to trip over for another week and finally go ahead and stick it back in the closet after stubbing their toe on its wheel one too many times.
I’m in the latter category. (And yes, that’s my white noise machine in the suitcase. I sleep like a baby with that thing!)
This past weekend was my first Immersion Conference with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) in New York City. It’s really an awesome deal – after you pay to attend the school, you can apply for a free second year. And you can do that second year any time, not necessarily right after you graduate from the main program. I’m so happy I was accepted! It’s a bit of an honor, really, because as Immersionists we act as mentors to the incoming class. It’s nice to feel trusted with that responsibility.
Clearly, IIN doesn’t know about how poorly I manage suitcase unpacking or else they may not have picked me. (hehe)
Anyway, this past weekend all 300-some Immersionists gathered in New York and it was a really welcome, inspirational weekend. *Happy sigh*
While we were there we ate some yummy dinners, of course. Candle Cafe was new to me and I really loved it. What an extensive menu! If you ever thought vegans had few options, check out this place. I had a southern inspired dish of layered millet, black beans and sweet potatoes over steamed greens, served with gravy. Ate. Every. Bite.
My friend Laura had a tofu entree – I forget exactly what was in there but the tofu was crusted with sesame seeds and it came with kim chee.
Now that we’re back home, I can’t wait to start working with the incoming students from this year’s IIN class. This is the very first year that there are in-person classes in New York AND distance learning classes happening worldwide. The internet is pure magic, I tell you. Now more people can access the awesome experience of IIN without having to travel to New York. (I mean, people do it. I met a girl from Japan who came to New York specifically for IIN. Whoa, right?)
If you love food and nutrition and can’t get enough of learning about this stuff, you may want to check out IIN. Especially if you feel a career change coming on. Especially if you find yourself always giving nutrition advice to friends anyway. Here’s a post I wrote about my experience. And I am always, always happy to chat over email or phone if you have questions. Sometimes it’s nice to hear from a “real” person’s perspective. And, here’s a pretty cool thing – they gave us a special offer to extend to…well, YOU. Enroll by 11/16/09 and save $500 off tuition!
“So,” you ask, “How did you decide to join the most upscale gym in Boston?”
I reply, “Do you mean Sportsclub/LA? The one in the same building as the Ritz Carlton?”
You say (with a bit of a hurumphh in your voice) “Yes, that’s the one.”
Well, let me explain. As many of you know, I was laid off from my fulltime job in advertising awhile back. And instead of scrambling to find another one, I decided to pursue my part time gig (and fulltime passion) of health and wellness.
Sure, I was concerned about money. Filing for that first unemployment check is a big hit to the ego. But luckily with savings and with income generated from my private health counseling clients, things were going to be ok.
Sweet!
Enter Alden. Alden is a friend of mine from yoga training. I said, “Hey Alden, haven’t seen you in awhile.” She said, “Oh well you know what, I just joined the Sportsclub/LA, you should come take a yoga class with me there! I have a free pass for guests.”
To which I replied, “Heck yeah!”
But inside I was thinking, “Boy Alden, you must make a lot of money to afford such a fancy gym…” Jealousy. Judging. Comparing. These feelings all came up. What can I say? I’m human.
So, I found myself walking past the Ritz Carlton and into SCLA, wishing that perhaps my workout clothes were a bit more posh. I gave a sideways glance to the other person in the elevator and thought…wow, I wonder what THAT guy does for a living.
When I got inside I saw no diamond studded treadmills or anything like that. But. It is a very, very nice gym. I’ve belonged to gyms that make you feel you need a shower just by walking into the room. Icky. But I’ve never belonged to a gym where I actually felt happy to be there, surrounded by big windows overlooking the Boston Common, pleasant people and plenty of space. They have an entire second floor dedicated to Mind-Body classes. This is where I headed for yoga, noting along the way the free herbal tea bar and individual yoga rooms for private practice.
And after class, I saw the locker rooms were stocked with cottonballs, tissues, razors, plastic bags for wet clothes, hairdryers, hairspray, deodorant and combs. Did I mention the steam room? Oh, it was heaven. They have a steam room, a sauna and a pool. But I’m a steam room kind of gal myself.
Long story short, I remembered that part of my job as a health counselor is convincing people to prioritize their health. Often I speak with people who would like to start a 6 month health counseling program but feel like they can’t afford it. I understand. I felt like I could not afford this gym. No way, no how.
But…it was just awesome. So I decided to put my money where my mouth is. I figured, being laid off meant I would finally have time to fully utilize a gym membership. I’d belonged to other gyms that cost $60/month and I never went. That’s a waste of money. What if I spent more, but loved it, and used it all the time? Hmmmm.
Ha! So I joined. If only to prove a point – that health is worth investing in.
I don’t have cable TV. I ride the city bus. I shop with a strict budget in mind. And I use the library. If I want to enjoy my workouts…that seemed like the right place to splurge.
Now of course, I don’t know all of your personal finance situations but I hope that sharing my story will underscore how vehemently I believe in prioritizing health. Maybe it means spending less on clothes and more on organic produce. Or spending less time watching TV and more time walking for exercise.
I’m very happy to offer a free pass to Sportsclub/LA to 4 lucky winners! I have 2 passes good only at the Boston location, and 2 passes good in either New York, Miami, Washington DC or San Franciso. If you would like to spend a day at a Sportsclub/LA near you, please leave a comment below and answer the question:
How do you prioritize your health? (AND what city will you use your pass in?)
For additional chances to win, do one or more of the following and let me know in the comments.
1. Sign up for my newsletter
2. Sign up for my RSS feed
3. Link to this contest from your blog
4. Follow me on Twitter
Winners must provide a US address for the free pass to be mailed to. Contest ends October 10, 2009.
It took me three years from the time I decided to leave my career in advertising to when I actually did. I remember the first day I considered a career change – I was in my office with the door closed, searching the internet for nutrition schools.
After all, I had started college as a physical therapy major and got straight A’s. When I changed majors to graphic design in college, it was mostly because I didn’t like the idea of working in a conventional hospital or outpatient setting. But now, here I was deciding that the health field was maybe a better fit after all.
My mom suggested I take a look at a holistic nutrition program she’d heard about: The Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN). “Mom,” I said, “That doesn’t look like a real school. I need a degree to be taken seriously. I want to do this right.”
Trouble was, my degree was in art. And to apply to any masters programs in nutrition required a bunch of science courses I had never taken. Plus, these masters programs were wicked expensive and required fulltime attendance. Hmmmm. I looked into the jobs I’d get as a Registered Dietitian and saw that at least in the Boston area everything was a job in a hospital. This was not for me.
I shook off the idea of nutrition and carried on, working in advertising, changing companies and then freelancing. I was looking for something but I really wasn’t finding it. And of course, it’s SCARY to change careers. It’s easier to keep your eyes down and get through the day. And the next day. And the next.
During my yoga teacher training I got to know people who made their living in non-mainstream ways. There were massage therapists and reiki practitioners, acupuncture students and of course, yoga teachers. I guess it got me thinking. These were successful people doing what they loved. So I took another look at IIN.
This time, it was the right time. I read all about the program online and signed up the very next day. I was able to do that because I didn’t need any pre-requisites and I didn’t need to rearrange my life. I simply had to decide that I could travel to New York about once per month for weekend classes. Totally doable! People literally travel from all over the world to attend IIN. All I had to do was take the bus down from Boston. And, the tuition was affordable. I paid in full.
Fast forward to last January. I started school and the very first person I met on the very first day was Laura:
There were tons of people – about 1500 of us in that room! Laura and I sat together and saw Joshua speak for the first time. Joshua is the founder of IIN. He is also the main teacher. Sometimes he’s serious and smart, and sometimes he’s really funny.
Either way, he’s the kind of speaker that keeps you engaged and listening, never nodding off in your seat. I learned so much from him by the way he related to others. I never had a teacher who could talk about death and sex and emotion and food in such a smart, calm way.
But we had lots of other great speakers:Sally Fallon, Paul Pitchford, David Wolfe, Marion Nestle, Howard Lyman, Barry Sears and Deepak Chopra to name a handful. This is world class stuff, people. This is cutting edge information that goes way beyond the political and nonsensical USDA food pyramid.
Sometimes, students became the teachers by sharing their experiences with the group.
And sometimes we got a taste of each other’s talents that went far beyond health counseling.
We made friends. Every weekend, that crowd of 1500 people had more and more familiar faces. We had lunch together in Central Park,
and dinners together at restaurants around the city. Here’s a group of us at Pure Food and Wine on our last class weekend:
We learned a whole lot about nutrition and even more about working with people. I like to say that the school, for me, was 50% about food and 50% vocational training. I really learned HOW to go about counseling others and how to start and market my private practice. Robert Notter runs the business training part of IIN and his guidance was invaluable. I never would have figured out on my own how to get an email newsletter or teleseminar together!
I can’t believe how much learning was packed into this program. We were treated as adults, with many opportunities and very few rules. Do you learn best from reading? Then read. Do you learn best from listening? We got tons of extra lessons via live speakers and mp3s. There was constant support on the online forums – a place to ask questions and talk to other students. In my opinion, the practical assignments were the most helpful. They were the ones that got us out there and doing the work, talking to people, making contacts and doing real work in the world.
Throughout our months together, students did amazing things. Heck, I did amazing things! We watched one woman heal herself from chronic migraines and countless others experiment with diet and lifestyle to achieve better health. An anti-GMO group formed, people started making raw chocolate bars to sell and the GLBT family got together to create Out For Wellness. Everyone started working and making money sharing their love and support with clients.
And 7 months later…we graduated! Many of us will continue on in the Immersion Program – a free 2nd year where we’ll have conference weekends and provide support to the incoming class. In addition to my certification as a health counselor, I’m also certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. Sweet!
I’m really glad I got to experience IIN in person. It was worth the many bus rides to NYC. I made so many wonderful friends and found strength in doing something like this for myself. But the Distance Learning program is the wave of the future!
#1 Yesterday I spent the afternoon at the Medford, MA Farmer’s Market where I’m lucky enough to have my own table this year! I got to mingle with the locals and spread the Real Food love. In coming weeks I think I’m even going to get the chance to teach yoga for a midday class, right in Medford Square at the market. Sweet, huh?
#2 I also earned myself a magnificent farmer’s tan while sitting at the market. Oops.
#3 Today I’m heading down to NYC for another weekend at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and when I get there I’m heading straight for the Union Square Farmer’s Market.
And #4, today I have a recipe for you that I made using fresh goose eggs from a farm in Western Massachusetts. (But you can use chicken eggs!) This is a great way to use up any herbs you have leftover from other recipes, or maybe fresh gorgeous herbs from your garden (lucky you!)
No-flip omelette with loadsa herbs
1 goose egg (Or 2 chicken eggs, preferably from pastured, local chickens)
1 Tbl. water or milk
2 big handfuls of fresh herbs (basil, parsley, oregano, etc.)
1 Tbl. organic butter
S+P, to taste
1. In bowl, whisk egg with water or milk. Heat butter in small pan over medium heat. Make sure you have a tight fitting lid for this pan.
2. Coat pan with melted butter, then add egg. Evenly distribute 1 handful of herbs across the top. Add S+P.
3. Cook for 2-3 minutes until bottom of egg is somewhat firm. Using spatula, lift edge and allow uncooked egg to run underneath.
4. When only a small pool of uncooked egg remains on top, cover with lid to finish cooking. Before serving, top with the other handful of fresh herbs and more S+P.
Just got back last night from New York – another super inspiring weekend at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Once I have time to let it all soak in I can’t wait to share with you all some of the things I learned from Sally Fallon. (Are any of you already into raw milk?) Aside from school, I also had a great meal with an old friend at Gusto Organics near Union Square. It wasn’t cheap, but the beef was grass-fed and the beet-parsnip soup was delicious.
Alas, I haven’t even had time to unpack and it’s already Monday and back to work. So here’s a video I’m sharing with you until I get to writing a full post of my own! I’m a big fan of Mark Bittman already because of his cookbook How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. Enjoy!
Lately I’ve been a bit of a gypsy going back and forth to New York for my weekends of school at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. It’s ironic that during these weekends I’m forced to eat some of my least healthy meals, often while riding on a long bus ride! Not exactly the loving home cooking that is recommended…
Sometimes I do a really good job of finding real food. Sometimes I cave to whatever is available. The way I see it, every meal is an experiment. Here are some of my very scientific discoveries!
Pictured above, top left: This was a surprisingly good Harvest Rice Bowl from Au Bon Pain that I ate on the bus ride down to New York. Have you been to Au Bon Pain? As food court food goes, Au Bon is one of my favorites. There are a few vegetarian options and this salmon curry rice bowl had brown rice and no dairy of any kind. Pretty sweet. Meal grade: B
Pictured above, top right: This meal I’m very proud of. Using Yelp.com (a fab resource) I hunted down the tiny Green Symphony market and found myself amidst a buffet of all natural dinner choices. All the ingredients were listed, making choosing easy. I went with some kale, beansprouts, chickpeas, and a turkey meat hawaiian meatball. Random! But it was a great meal costing only $5.50. Meal Grade: A
Pictured above, bottom left: I’ve written about Souen before so just let me reiterate how much I enjoy their food! The thing about eating a macrobiotic meal is that you know you are going to get an excellent variety of real, whole food. In this case I went with their Planet Platter and a side of pickles. No fear of scary sugar/fat laden sauces or anything that would upset my stomach. Score! Meal Grade: A+
Picture above, bottom right: Ok, ok. I had this awhile ago but I need to confess. During the holidays the only place open at the highway rest stop was McDonalds. I was curious about this Big N’ Tasty burger…seemed like a stab at a slightly healthier burger option. Turns out they just stick an extra large piece of lettuce on it. Way to go, Mickey D’s! Meal Grade: D
When you travel, how do you handle food on the go?
I’ve been meaning to write about my trip to New York a few weekends ago, and maybe now is the perfect time since most blogs are all about sweet potatoes and turkey basting today. While we all prepare for Thanksgiving, here’s something I was thankful for: An awesome, healthy meal in the middle of NYC at about $8/plate.
So let me back up. I went down to New York because I’m obsessed with something called Journey Dance, or maybe some of you have heard of a version simply called Yoga Dance. It’s a chakra-shaking dance party that admittedly sounds awfully weird, but whatever, I love it. How often do you get to dance like mad – minus an impending hangover, late night out, or a wedding DJ? Anyway, I went to New York for a Journey Dance workshop at the Jivamukti School and it was a lot of fun. Although honestly a lot of girls there seemed to be aspiring dancers who may have confused this workshop with an audition. But at any rate, right around the corner from Jivamukti, Max and I found a sweet macrobiotic restaurant called Souen.
Pictured up top is the vegetarian meal I got: Chestnut Polenta with winter veggies. And below is a picture of Max with his hardcore macrobiotic plate, all perfectly balanced (the menu said) for a temperate climate.
This place was the real deal, with kanten desserts and grain coffee. And to top it off, the prices were swell. $13 for my special, and $8 for Max’s plate. I heart Boston, but no restaurant like this would survive here. Souen has been around since 1971 and the place was packed with people young and old.
Now enough of this restaurant talk, we all have homemade goods to whip up. So get to it and have a happy Thanksgiving!
I help busy people find balance in their over-worked, over-stressed lives. Trust me, it's not an all-or-nothing situation! A few shifts in diet and lifestyle can rock your world like they did mine. Read on
